As some foreigners have told, Finns can be quite introverted sometimes. On the other hand, I think this proves to be the case especially when a Finn must talk another language than his or hers mother tongue. It might be also because Finland isn’t really that large of a country compared to some other, and because of that, we might not encounter that many people a day. If the population of Finland would be let’s say four times bigger, I think we might have gotten use to chatting with strangers, and moreover, expressing our feelings. But then again, would the Finnish culture be like what it is today if the population was significantly higher?
When many exchange students at TAMK have told that many Finns “keep stuff to themselves” and don’t really talk that much, we´ve told them that you just might want to wait and see what happens at the first student parties that you attend to. It is weird how a few magical portions of a substance called alcohol can change a fairly shy human being into the most talkative person you´ve ever met. I must say, it is sometimes quite embarrassing that the few things exchange students get to know about Finland is the craziness of student parties and the awesomeness of saunas. The latter one, is in my mind, the best Finland has to offer. To top it off, a sauna next to a lake, and a traditional summer cottage – say no more.
I am looking forward to my first student parties at my exchange destination. More than that, I am looking forward to getting to know the German culture, the city of Frankfurt and to meet new people.
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