. . . only the most extreme conservatively religious will bat an eye when it comes to swearing. Even politicians at very classy gatherings have been known to open the meeting with, “we need to get a grip on this ****** situation.” The word used being that part of the female anatomy Finns like to bandy about when it comes to expressing surprise or disgust or any emotion really. It would come as no surprise to anyone in the congregation if it was uttered in church, from the pulpit by the vicar.
Month: June 2023
Triptych: Three Thoughts On the Current Political Climate III – the minority rep using the Holocaust as a Learning Moment
. . . as though you were just there for a cause. A cause that will serve others far more than it will ever do you any good in any way, shape or form. You are there for a purpose and it’s not to tell your story, but for them to feel good about themselves.
Triptych: Three Thoughts On the Current Political Climate II – The ones who fulfill all your basic needs
I like my villains visibly bad, because it makes it easier to cast them aside. When they are intelligent and well-spoken and if we have discussed ideas earlier and have established some sort of friendly rapport, it makes it that much more enticing to want to dig deeper beneath the surface to try and determine what (could have) made you that way. And if you changed, what was the inciting incident that made you change.
Triptych: Three Thoughts On the Current Political Climate I – The Flip Flopper
That person looked me right in the eye at a chance meeting much later and acted as though nothing had happened and she had never told our boss not to extend my contact.
Divorcing Finland – intro
I once witnessed a Finnish friend literally not hear a word of what I was saying when I switched to Finnish even though I was standing right next to her. Her brain simply didn’t allow for the fact that I was addressing her in Finnish, when we had spoken English all this time and sometimes French when she wanted to practice. It was an interesting experience, and definitely opened my eyes to similar reactions around me.
Beneath the Surface of Sauna, Salmiakki and Santa – intro
Like a celebrity, countries are excellent at putting out an image to the world of how they want to be seen. There’s the brazenly rugged terrain or the soft rolling hills, or the vibrant metropolis. No matter how a country decides to brand itself, there is always an element of truth, wishful thinking, a lie…
“No rising hill, or mountain grand, (No sloping dale, no northern strand)” – some random initial thoughts on Santa’s homeland
Finland, the land of (at least) 10,000 lakes, an endless space of forest and an educational system that has drawn accolades and reporters from around the world. And let’s not forget sauna, salmiakki and Santa (unless of course you’re from Denmark, Greenland or Iceland). The last three obviously figure in several countries but, just like…
The Po’boy as Metaphor for Finnish Society
But this was no Bono and the Corrs cover of Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra’s Summer Wine, this was essentially Summer Wind, something that maybe sounded similar to the untrained ear, but had no bearing in any way, shape or form on the original. Or as someone close to my heart – who would never utter a bad word against someone unless they absolutely had to – put it, “Jesus no! This is a toast. A toast with meat and some greens.”
talesfromyourlocalpubs 