Finnishness

For me it’s great to be a Finn. We have a country where education and school lunch don’t cost anything, we have quite a peaceful political situation and in my opinion people have an excellent opportunity to express themselves as they wish. Despite all the privileges we have it’s kind of ridiculous why Finns complain about all kinds of things when we could appreciate everything we already have. Or why a typical Finn may seem a bit rude even if it’s not the purpose at all.

These pictures came to my mind first.

A Finn needs own space and for example in the busses this can be a normal scene. Also if some stranger come to talk with a Finn, for example in the bus, the Finn can feel the situation awkward. A Finn starts to think like “do I know this person” and if the answer is no, the person may be considered as a freak. Because this kind of conversations between foreigners don’t happen so often, some people can be delighted when someone comes to talk with them. But in these situations you have to have a brilliant sense of situation.

In addition to our character, Finns can also be a bit shy especially towards foreigners because of this:

Foreigners usually know the excellent level of education we have here in Finland and maybe that’s why Finns have pressure to speak English fluently. Great level of education can also make a Finn to focus too much on the little things, just like pronouncing some word, which don’t really affect are you being understood or not.

And then, some other “only in Finland” things…

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Although in the world of sports Finland are usually known of ice hockey and other winter sports and the most practiced sport in Finland is football, Finnish baseball has always been called as the national sport of our country. The game reminds a bit the US baseball. “Pesäpallo”, as we Finns call it, is even today very valued sport because for example in the physical education classes of our primary schools it’s still one of the most played game. I think everyone in Finland has played the game at some point.

Here is the taste that some foreigners don’t understand: Salty liquorice. When the candy is sweet and salty at the same time you may think the taste is terrible. Despite of that, in Finland people like it. Salty liquorice is also quite popular in other Nordic countries, Germany and the Netherlands so it doesn’t basically belong to those “only in Finland things”.

And finally I have to post here a traditional picture of how a Finn relaxes on a vacation.

Many Finns have a cottage by the lake where they can forget their working life and enjoy the silence and the wonderful nature we have. At their cottages Finns can fulfil maybe the biggest Finnish tradition: Going to the sauna and right after that to swim. This can continue several hours. Some Finns do this even in winter when someone has made a hole in the ice.