Faces: People, Places, and Cultures articles from January 2002

Faces: People, Places, and Cultures archives from January 2002

Editor's message.(Finland's unique culture)(Editorial)
January 1, 2002... Dear Reader, Often grouped together with other Scandinavian countries, Finland is sometimes thought to be identical to its neighbors. But Finns will be the first to set you straight. Finns have spent much of their history resisting efforts...

Finland. (At a Glance).(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Official Name: Republic of Finland Location: The European nation of Finland is one of the world's most northern countries. Finland is bordered by Norway to the north, Sweden to the northwest, the Gulf of Bothnia and the Baltic Sea to the...

Yukigassen. (Only In).(Finnish winter sport)
January 1, 2002... What in the world is yukigassen? If you have ever played "Capture the Flag," you already know how to play the game of yukigassen. The Japanese word "yukigassen" translates as "snow battle." Picture a large snowball fight with rules,...

In the know.(geographical terms)
January 1, 2002... Look for the following places and things in this issue. Archipelago (ar-keh-PEL-eh-go): A large group of islands. Arctic Circle: The earth's northernmost parallel of latitude, located at about 66 [degrees] 33'. The sun does not set here...

Welcome to Finland!(Finnish culture and communications industry)(Statistical Data Included)
January 1, 2002... Way up in the far northern corner of Europe, winters are long and continuously cold, and summers are brief and brilliant under the midnight sun. That is where you will find Finland (Suomi, pronounced "SUE-ah-me" in Finnish), along with the...

Finland. (Through Time).(significant dates)
January 1, 2002... 10,000-8,000 B.C. Ancestors of the present-day Sami migrate to the Arctic coast of Finland, where they hunt reindeer. A.D. 800-1100 Vikings and many other cultural groups arrive in Finland. 1155-1807 Finland is part of the Kingdom of...

The Sami: ancient inhabitants of Scandinavia.
January 1, 2002... An old story says that in the beginning just two people roamed the earth. When a winter blizzard blew up around them, one traveler found shelter in a cave and the other traveler learned to survive and adapt to the storm. He became the first of...

The language that refused to die.(Finnish)
January 1, 2002... The Finnish people take great pride in their rich language. Through the years, they have resisted other nations' attempts to impose their languages on them. Language often reveals the origins of a people, but Finnish is unique, and...

Finland's festivals.
January 1, 2002... Finnish festivals have their roots in ancient pagan traditions. Long ago, most Finns were farmers, and festivals were linked to the seasons. Finns worshipped many gods and spirits, but Ukko (OO-ko), the god of thunder and lightning, and his...

A traditional Finnish Christmas.
January 1, 2002... Finland's Christmas season officially begins on the first Sunday of Advent (four Sundays before Christmas Day) and ends on January 6, Twelfth Night. Although it has adopted the custom of Saint Lucia from neighboring Sweden, Finland's other...

Cloudberries, Zander, and Pulla: the foods of Finland.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Surrounded as it is by Sweden, Norway, Estonia, the Baltic Sea, and Russia, Finland has foods that tend to be a blend of mainly Russian and Scandinavian influences. And since the country-side abounds with lakes, rivers, and forests, much of...

Summer at the archipelago.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Juni and Marie Berglund jump out of the motor boat and scramble onto the gray granite rocks. The girls, then ages 7 and 8, have come to spend their summer vacation on their family's island in Finland's southern archipelago. The country's...

Meet the Moomins.(popular children's stories in Finland)
January 1, 2002... Down in the Valley of the Moomins, somewhere in this universe of ours, live the Moomin family and their friends. The Moomins look as soft as pillows or marshmallows, with stubby tails and perky ears. They descended from a line of invisible...

Singing the stories.(folk songs of Finland)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... With evening chores completed, the community settled around the fire. Men gathered their fishing nets into their laps, repairing and enlarging them. Women attended to their spinning. Cousins jostled and teased one another as they waited for the...

Finland's friendly water towers.(towers act as restaurants and look-out platforms)
January 1, 2002... Suppose your friend said, "Let's go get something to eat at the water tower -- their ice cream cones are great!" You might think he had lost his mind, because water towers have just one purpose: to store water high enough above other buildings...

The Forest Bride: a play based on a Finnish folktale.(Play)
January 1, 2002... Cast of Characters: Narrator, Matti (oldest brother), Lauri (middle brother), Veikko (youngest brother), Mouse, Father, Traveler Narrator: One day, a farmer decided it was time for each of his three sons to marry. Each was to chop down a...

Finland. (Books).
January 1, 2002... Finland by Tan Chung Lee Like other titles in the Cultures of the World series, Finland presents a complete introduction to the country's geography, history, economy, and culture. Photographs emphasize the outdoor lifestyle of Finnish...

Finland. (Books).
January 1, 2002... Finland by Sylvia McNair Part of the Enchantment of the World series, this book is one of the most engaging resources available on Finland. Rather than simply list facts, which it does provide in abundance, it connects the facts to spin a...

Finland. (Books).
January 1, 2002... Finland by Zhong Meichun This book reflects the bright outlook of the Finnish people. Major sections include "An Overview," "A Closer Look," and "Relations with North America." Within those sections, information is presented in brief...

The Journal of Otto Peltonen. (Books).
January 1, 2002... The Journal of Otto Peltonen by William Durbin Fifteen-year-old Otto writes in his journal nearly every day, describing his journey from Finland to Hibbing, Minnesota. The story he tells is one shared by nearly a quarter of a million Finns...

The Magic Storysinger, from the Finnish Epic Tale Kalevala. (Books).
January 1, 2002... The Magic Storysinger, from the Finnish Epic Tale Kalevala retold and illustrated by M.E.A. McNeil Get to know the funny, melancholy, and heroic Vaino of Kalevala. A storysinger who makes magic with his songs, Vaino can cast powerful...

Finnish Proverbs. (Books).
January 1, 2002... Finnish Proverbs translated by Inkeri Vaananen-Jensen This book gives a good idea of how Finns look at the world. Like their weather, sometimes their advice is bright and other times it is very dark. The proverbs are tied to the seasons,...

A Year in Lapland: Guest of the Reindeer Herders. (Books).
January 1, 2002... A Year in Lapland: Guest of the Reindeer Herders by Hugh Beach The author lived with the Sami of Swedish Samiland (then known as Lapland) in the 1970s, and recounts a typical year in chapters that follow the cycles of the seasons. His...

The Works of Tove Jansson. (Books).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2002... Meet the Moomins -- Moominpappa, Moominmamma, and their son, Moomintroll. These curious and adventuresome characters have drawn millions of readers to Finland's favorite children's stories. The Moomins are great company -- their lively...

Theme packs: (boxed set with teacher's guide) (Teaching About Asia).
January 1, 2002... ASIA I: Living in the Himalayas; Japan; The Samurai o f Japan; Indonesia; Phillipines; Mongols of China; India; Hinduism; Hunnic Invasions $41.95 FAC40658 ASIA II: Cambodia; Central Asia; Growing Up in China; Hong Kong; Shinto;...

Mini theme packs: (boxed set with teacher's guide) (Teaching About Asia).
January 1, 2002... CHINA: Confucius; Hen Dynasty; Ming Dynasty; Mongols; Shi Huangdi $25.95 CAL44543 WORLD RELIGIONS: Hinduism; Buddhism; Judaism; Early Christianity; Islam $25.95 FAC40880

Vero And Philippe. (Books).
January 1, 2002... VERO AND PHILIPPE: Vero Vo and her Vietnamese family move to Paris, where she and her bossy big brother Philippe are left to grapple with city life, a new school, and sibling rivalry. Then Mrs. Vo fires the kind, family maid, Francine, over a...

The Samurai. (Books).
January 1, 2002... THE SAMURAI:From Osprey Publishing, a leader in military publishing and renowned for their quality, accuracy, and detail, we have selected a curriculum-mandated title that helps create enthusiasm for history. Grade 5 and up 64 pages,...

UCLA lesson plan. (Teaching About Asia).
January 1, 2002... Emperor Alhoka of India: What Makes a Ruler Legitimate? NCHS: Emperor Ashoka, who ruled in India in the 3rd century BCE, is one of the most intriguing figures in world history. In an era of autocratic monarchies, he attempted to use moral...

Spice activity book. (Teaching About Asia).
January 1, 2002... MAPPING ASIA: Geography materials developed by the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education. Includes an introduction, reproducible handouts and transparency masters, and teachers' guides. Grade 5 and up 82 pages,...