As the bells toll and the fireworks are popping off, some people might dread that which is to come in a few hours. Namely, the Relative Fight Fest.That occasion when everyone gathers together, tensions mount and you begin to understand within seconds why it is that you normally don’t hang out, unless a “family occasion”…
Tag: comfort zone
On the Misleading Concept of Friendship – a post in honor of Finnish Friendship Day
Finns pride themselves on many things, and one of the things they will humblebrag on – alongside their claim to honesty, drinking capabilities and high tolerance of cold temperatures (due largely with the aid of the former) – is their concept of friendship. “A Finnish friend is a friend for life,” they will tell you….
On Finland
On December 6 Finland – as every year – celebrated its independence from Russia with great fanfare. Not by showcasing massive parades or anything else that would draw mass attention to it. Instead post after post proclaimed the glory of Finland and why the poster – Finnish and foreign – considers Finland the “bestest country…
Expat, Immigrant, EU Citizen – a quick lesson in terminology
They can be expats in the countries bordering those where their passport is from and as far away as to necessitate a 24-hour flight. And they can emigrate to another country with the intent of setting down roots whether that place is close by or extremely far away, thus making them immigrants. The terms are determined by the desire of the subject and never by the country they came from or the color of their skin.
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.
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.
Negotiating the State of Mind in Terms of Finland – from Love to Hate to (hopefully) Neutral Ground
As with every place I’ve ever lived in, Finland is at the tail end of my intense and unabridged hatred on bad days and severe displeasement on better ones. A combination of xenophobia and medical incompetence – which resulted in a 90% impairment on my quality of life for the past 18 months and hopefully…
The (un)Glamorous Notion of the TCK / CCK Conundrum
The Personal Experience that Set the Initial Identity I first came across the term TCK in college, when someone much older than me made me aware of the term. I devoured all the material available, only to realize that it ticked all the boxes. Caught between this culture and the next, check. Code switching on…
A Few Thoughts On Regular Hangouts
The thing with bars, pubs and cafes that become regular places is that they can provide that home away from home where nothing ever changes, or only changes slowly, and where – as an additional bonus – you can always put your hat while not having to worry about much of anything else. Unless you…
talesfromyourlocalpubs 