My experience of Finnishness
- Sauna. Sauna is the key to any event in Finland. It is the place where you can finally relax and be yourself, after a long day. It is the place where you get to know people beyond “put together” image they show in the public eye. It is the place where people are not afraid to express their emotions and feelings, as if the stiffness that we see on surface melts with a heat of sauna.
2. Rules are everything. Without a doubt, Finland is a country where systems actually work because people tend to follow set of rules given to them. This also affects the trust within community. People believe you from words. Unfortunately, this rule obedience can go to extremes in certain cases. As an example: A parent with a pushchair is rushing towards the bus. They are about to enter vehicle but the bus doors get closed in front of them. Why? Schedule shouldn’t be messed with. I’ve noticed similar situations on multiple occasions where human factor was less important than strict rule obedience.
3. Finnish people are really straightforward. You done’t have to beat around the bush when it comes to a feedback at work. People say what they mean. They might be silent if they don’t agree, but if they speak it is usually worth listening to. This way work gets done much faster and as a result the quality increases.
4. Weird obsession with liquorice and salmiakki. It is everywhere: in ice cream, toothpaste, alcohol, any candy. I wonder if it is some sort of parenting method that kids are taught from childhood that they should treat even the saltiest and hardest things in our life positively, and think of them as a decent candy. And with a time even learn to enjoy those.
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