As Finnish Independence Day comes and goes the city is ablaze with Christmas lights Finnish style. Which means, more reminiscent of a traditional country Christmas than the neon lights seen in most capitals and cities of importance. For the record, I love and embrace both (much more than the concept of snow beyond Epiphany). The…
Tag: Finland Files
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Drug Deal Goes Down in the Neighborhood
Behind the house where the German pickup artist lives with his teenage daughter, wife and dog is a small path that gives you access to several buildings, including mine. It is a path gladly taken in the summer, for it is easier to handle the wildlife than it is to tackle the elements, especially the…
Finland’s Incessant Need for the Volunteer (always of foreign origin, never a Finn)
“We don’t really do volunteer work in Finland as such, because we get paid for charity work,” is what I heard many times when I inquired about volunteer work in Finland. And yet I really did keep hearing of people volunteering their time and expertise to a variety of causes. There were the retired folks…
I Made a Salesman Cry Today at the Cattle Market ahem Job Fair – for real this time
cntd from previous post But the best part was the Robotics Club Extra as I’ll call it. Think of your own religion or one adjacent to you. Now think of the holy centers where they study that scripture that defines their religion. Think of the men (it’s always the men) who study there, their smooth…
I Made a Salesman Cry Today at the Cattle Market ahem Job Fair
Disclaimer. I had to split this into two parts, so this part has no crying. Just so you know, because this is not a ploy to get you to read more or click to read more so I can rake in the big bucks 😀 Finns are usually a traditional bunch, who (would) much prefer…
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…
Three Positive Things About the Place You Live
Right now, and this may or may not change, Finland is not my favorite place to be. I’ve tried to achieve something (many somethings) that generated very positive responses in other countries but never here, and between that and the beyond abysmal healthcare – henceforth known as Burana Care thanks to the inimitable and super…
The Finland, Finland, Finland! Initiation Quiz
So you’ve set your sights on Finland and now you want to pay the country a visit. Or you’re going all in and are about to move there. Have you thought this through? Are you aware of how you will fit in (or won’t)? It usually takes at least three months to get a proper…
Finland in 10 Points – for busy readers and the impatient
. . . 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.
talesfromyourlocalpubs 