Lens Politica

Next Wednesday kicks off the fourth annual Lens Politica, film and media art festival, dives once again into the topical questions of world politics and societal issues. The festival program includes documentary films, fiction, short films, art exhibitions, seminars and panel discussions as well as groovy club nights.
El prósimu miercoles entama la cuarta edición de Lens Politica, festival de cine, periodismu y arte, metése'n temes d'actualidá política y social. El programa tien documentales, ficción, curtios, esposiciones, seminarios y alderiques amás de nueches marchoses.

Kalpea Kamala (1938)

Kalpea Kamala is a novel character created by Simo Penttilä in 1938. Kamala was in the Spanish foreign legion, as Franco's minion, killing masons, communists and mixed race people. The goal: the instauration of a new world order... After the 2nd WW, world's order was quite different and Kalpea Kamala joined a list of forbidden Finnish books. Via PopuLAARI.
Kalpea Kamala ye un personaxe de ficción creáu por Simo Penttilä'n 1938. Kamala yera un Finés, seguidor de Franco, que formando parte la llexión estranxera Franquista cargábase masones, comunistes y los que nun yeren de pura raza blanca. L'oxetivu: crear un nuevu orden mundial. Dempués la 2a guerra mundial esta serie entró na llista de llibros prohibíos en Finlandia. Via PopuLAARI.

Salú y República!!

Photo by Mundo Caótico

Unavoidable topic for today: anniversary of the 2nd Spanish Republic. Greetings to my friends at the Spanish consulate in Helsinki.

Hoi nun podía ser d'otra forma... Saludos pa los mios amigos nel Consuláu Español en Helsinki

Lex Nokia

From now on in Finland, and thanks to the pressure of Nokia, public and private employers can have access at the e-mails of the employees. Via...
A partir d'hoi en Finalndia los empleadores públicos y privaos pueden acceder a tolos e-mails de los empleaos. Más n'El País...

Nubes de güelga xeneral

The Finnish government is promoting a new law where the minimum retirement age would be 65. Some unions are threatening with a general strike if the law goes through. In the photo a demonstration in Helsinki from the last general strike in 1956
El gobiernu Finés ta promoviendo una llei na que la edá mínima de xubilación queda en 65 años. Dalgunos sindicatos yá tan amenazando con güelga xeneral. Na foto una mani en Helsinki na última güelga xeneral en 1956

Suurlähetystössä

Left fist raised and shouting "hooray for the Republic!" was the greeting I've got yesterday when entering the Spanish embassy.
It took me few seconds to realize what was going on: one of the employees saw the small Spanish republican flag I wear on my coat. Usually, in the embassy and similar buildings, surrounded by photos of the royal family and monarchic flags, I tend to assume that everybody working there shares the values that these symbols represent. That specific employee seemed a bit hostile other times but this time was particularly helpful. I need some therapy for my prejudices
Col puñu izquierdu n'altu y glayando "Salud y república!" fue como me recibieron ayer na embaxada d'España.
Llevome un par de segundos decatame de lo que taba pasando: el funcionariu la entrada vió la banderina republicana que llevo cosida nel abrigu. Normalmente, dentro de la embaxada y edificios similares, rodiáu de banderes bicolor y fotos reales, tengo la impresión de que toos los que trabayen ellí comulguen colo qu'esos símbolos representen. Esi funcionariu en particular paeciome secu otres veces pero ayer ayudome mucho coles xestiones. Tengo de faceme mirar los mis prexuicios

Religulous

Religulous is a fun and interesting movie about religions.

Miina Äkkijyrkkä

Photos Juha Metso
Miina Äkkijyrkkä is a Finnish sculptor sorrounded by controversy. Her main source of inspiration is cattle and she's commited with the protection of Finnish breeds. Recently the city of Helsinki has cancelled her rental contract and is forcing her to leave her farm. The oficial motive are accusations of not taking proper care of the cattle. However, many people see this as a way to get rid off a person with an unusual way of living that doesn't conform to the standards of city development (i.e. favouring golf courts and speculative housing). Äkkijyrkkä's work (cows made out car parts) can be seen in many places around the city and she's also made some prints for Marimekko. If she leaves, Helsinki is going to loose an inspirational character with the courage to show that other life styles are possible in our globalised cities. Don't miss her website and enjoy her work
Miina Äkkijyrkkä ye una escultora Finesa arrodiada pola controversia estos díes. La so fonte d'inspiración son les vaques y ye mui activa na conservación de les races autóctones Fineses. Hai poco l'ayuntamientu de Helsinki canceló'l so contratu d'alquiler por nun tener el ganao en condiciones adecuaes. Muncha xente piensa que namás ye una escusa pa quitase de delantre un personaxe orixinal y polémicu que nun casa bien coles llínies de desarrollo urbanístico na ciudá (campos de golf y apartamentos). Les obres d'Äkkijyrkkä (vaques xigantes feches de partes de coches vieyos) pueden vese pela ciudá y también fae estampaos pa Marimekko. En cualquier casu, si marcha, Helsinki va perder una parte importante de la so personalidá que la facía un sitiu más orixinal, un exemplu de qu'otros estilos de vida son posibles n'estes ciudaes tan globalizaes. Nun vos perder la so páxina web pa disfrutar del su trabayu

Municipal elections 2008

The municipal elections took place in a day perfectly described by Hanna V. in the above picture. Extremely rainy and windy day which saw the consolidation of the conservative parties (National Coalition "Kokoomus" and the Centre "Keskusta") and the worrying growth (as a foreigner living in Finland) of the "True" Finns party (populist and anti-immigrants). Socialdemocrats (SDP) and leftist coalition (Vasemmistoliitto) keep going down, and the greens grew a bit. You can read more in here. In Helsinki the National Coalition won again (26 council members), the Greens are the second party (21 c.m.) and Socialdemocrats the third (16 c.m.)
Nun día de mucha lluvia y viento, perfectamente ilustráu por Hanna V. nel dibuxu enrriba, celebráronse les elecciones municipales. Los partíos conservadores "Coalición Nacional" (Kokoomus) y "El Centru" (Keskusta) consolídense como los más votaos mientres los Socialdemócrates (SDP) y Izquierda Xunida (Vasemmistoliitto) siguen la tendencia a la baxa. Preocupante (como foriatu viviendo equí) ye'l crecimientu d'un partíu pequeñu (Fineses "Auténticos") con un perfil populista y anti-inmigración estremu. Polo demás los verdes crecieron daqué. Podeis lleer más equí. En Helsinki los conservadores ganaron otra vegada (26 conceyales), los verdes van detrás (21) y terceros los socialistes (16)

The f***ing crisis

Photo originally uploaded by Däni Von Hickersby
Some stencil graffities from Helsinki walls as a therapy against the current days, which have me so fed up with the capitalist system. Fat bankers grow rich by abusing the clients to end up being fed again by the client's tax money when speculation doesn't pay off
Algunes pintaes nes paredes de Helsinki como terapia escontra la fartura de noticies sobre la "crisis". La banca enriqueciéndose mediante l'abusu de los clientes. Cuando la especulación nun rinde son los impuestos de los clientes los que van también a la banca

"Capitalism isn't a thing to play with"
"El capitalismu nun ye daqué colo que xugar"
(photo StickerHelsinki)

Cantabrian Maginot

During our hiking trip in the forest of Peloño we passed by this machine-gun nest from the Spanish civil war. These remains from the war are abundant in the Asturian mountains. Some even named this line of fortifications against the fascists the "Cantabrian Maginot Line", taking the name from the original Maginot Line built before WWII in France to defend against the Germans. You can find related posts here
De la que caleyábemos pel bosque Peloño, nel colláu Guaranga, pasamos per esti ñeru d'ametralladores republicanu de cuando la guerra civil. Agora que vuelve a tar nos medios el procesu activu de recuperación la memoria histórica nun ta de más insistir nello. Esti tipu construcciones nun son rares nos montes Asturianos, dalgunos nomanles la llinia "Maginot Cantabrica" en correspondencia cola llinia Maginot orixinal construida en Francia enantes la segunda guerra mundial. Podeis topar coses relacionaes equí

In here were fought some of the last combats of the war during October 1937
Equí llibráronse dalgunos de los últimos combates la guerra n'octubre 1937

It makes you think...
Faite pensar...

Ei iskua Irakiin! - Nun ataquéis Irak!

Time flies. Three years ago we were protesting against the imminent invasion of Irak. A sunny day of March 2003 (but -15 celsius) . See photos here
El tiempu vuela. En marzu de 2003 (-15 graos) tabemos de manifestación contra la inminente invasión d'Irak. Ver les fotos equí

From Finland through Canada to the Spanish Civil War

Interesting article in El País about one book dealing with the Canadian Brigades fighting on the republican side during the Spanish Civil War. Coincidentally, the article focus on the figure of Jules Päiviö a Finnish-Canadian that enrolled at the Mackenzie-Papineau battalion. An article on the website Vapaa Sana states:

Around 1500 Canadians went to Spain in spite of Canadian laws against volunteering. Of those Canadians a disproportionately large number were of Finnish origin. According to Finnish author Jyrki Juusela 225 Finns in total fought in the war and of these over 70 were Finnish-Canadians

Interesante artículu n'El País d'un llibru sobre los brigadistas Canadienses que llucharon cola República na guerra civil. Menciónase a Jules Päiviö, un Finés-Canadiense que formó parte del batallón Mackenzie-Papineau. De los 1500 Canadienses que fueron a lluchar a España (contra la llei canadiense) 225 yeren d'orixen finés. Qué coses...

Spanish Civil War

Today a friend pointed me out an article in the newspaper "El Paí­s". The article (in Spanish) explains that this year are coming out several books about the Spanish Civil War. It seems that these recent contributions are unveiling interesting points as the struggle during 1938 between Socialists and communists on the one side, and the nationalists (PNV and ERC) on the other side. Or, in turn, that the Soviet Union was also reluctant to support the republican side fearing an anarchist revolution. Although the information is not new, the renovated interest may contribute to a more objective vision of this episode of our recent history. It definitely explains many facts and attitudes still present in contemporary Spain. Worth giving a try to the book "The Spanish Civil War: a very short introduction" by Helen Graham. Very good set of Robert Capa´s photographs about the Spanish war At the Magnum Site, just type "Spanish Civil War" in the search box.