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: xenophobia
When Finnish Independence Day and the Xmas Spirit Collide
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…
The Avon Lady is Not The Only One Who Hates Me – a treatise on my relationship with conservative societies
We ran into the Avon Lady again the other day. As always in these cases, I was with her neighbor and – again as always in these cases – we saw her son first. He greeted his neighbor, looked a question at me as though he wasn’t quite sure whether to talk to me or…
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…
On the Conundrum of Recognizing Nationalist Rhetoric Before Others Become Aware of It
As the child of a Holocaust survivor (and a war child delivering goods to the ghetto) your mind naturally wanders off in all sorts of directions and goes off on all kinds of tangents, one of them being, what were those times like? Were there any signs and – perhaps more importantly – how would it have affected me and what if anything would I have done? We all want to be the heroes in the stories we dream and live but when it comes to generational guilt and trauma, those wishes and ideals intensify.
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.
Poland in 10 points – for busy readers and the impatient
As everywhere severely nationalist, populist and xenophobic the darker the skin tone and the farther away from the perceived norms you are, the lower the standing in society. Racial slurs are bandied about as though they were the sign of the cross you make with holy water upon entering a church without even taking on board that more inclusive words exist.
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.
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.
talesfromyourlocalpubs 