Growing up, I went to a Swedish preschool in a tiny village called Tölby, located about 20km from Vaasa. Vaasa is the central city of Ostrobothnia, right next to Kvarken archipelago, which is Finland’s only natural heritage site (also listed on the international UNESCO World Heritage List!!).
It’s such a beautiful place, and to get there, you have to cross the longest bridge in Finland (Replotbron in Swedish). If you ever get a chance to go visit Finland, and drive around a bit – I do recommend the coasts around Vaasa. And while you’re here – there’s this museum that I used to work at called Stundars that’s also worth the trip. At Stundars openair museum you can walk around in a village that portrays how people used to live in Mustasaari about 150 years ago.
There are lots of big Finnish things. Finland Swedish Finnish things. Brands that are known around the world, and things we are famous for, history we have to remember and nature that we have to preserve. Finnishness according to me, put into a list:
- The Moomins. Tove Jansson. Maybe one of the most famous Finland Swedish authors and illustrators of all time. (if you haven’t – go watch the movie “Tove”)
- Sisu (a candy? but also something that you can have – as in an adjective),
- Santa Claus (lives here I guess),
- HayDay (the mobile game, and I am a bit obsessed),
- heavy metal bands (Lordi did win Eurovision that one time, and Finland does have the most heavy metal bands in the world, if I’m not mistaken),
- Angry Birds (speaks for itself I think),
- Marimekko (flowery clothing brand),
- NATURE (as you can see in my photos!! honestly the best part.)
- ice-hockey (and playing against Sweden is always the most interesting ones),
- Käärijä (you all know him. cha cha cha, big-green-sleeves-guy),
- Wärtsilä (they make sustainable ferry engines that are sold around the world)
- and the list goes on and on.
Saying it shortly, Finland Swedish Finnishness, is speaking a language that feels like home to you – but not being understood at the cashier. It’s listening to music by Humorgruppen KAJ, who sings in their own Swedish dialect (which is similar to mine, but not the same) about everyday topics, like their most recent album “Karar i arbeit” which translated would be “men at work”. (I could write a whole blog post about them, too, but if nothing else, go listen to one of their songs and then you’ll know how it sounds when I speak.)
It’s learning how to drive a car and a tractor a bit too early – because you live on the land and have to get to places and help the family. It’s spending time at your grand parents’ summer cottage and learning how to swim there. It’s living so far from the big city (I basically grew up in a forest with wolfs around the corner) you grew up hearing “if you want to scream – go outside and scream”. It’s speaking a Swedish dialect that Swedish people from Sweden love to hear – but Finns seem to dislike. It’s growing up watching the children’s show BUU klubben, instead of Pikku Kakkonen, or in my case, watching them both because I’ve grown up bilingual. Being a Finland Swede is being stubborn, saying “tack” instead of “kiitos” because I can. It’s working hard and being proud of who you are and where you come from.
I will always make it my whole personality in any way I can, that I’m a Finland Swede. Not only do I try to speak Swedish as much as I can, but I also feel like it’s important that we don’t forget that Finland is a bilingual country!! Nowadays I feel like people are forgetting that part, which is sad. But let’s not end on a sad and gloomy note. Or, actually, isn’t that a bit Finnish, too? We’re usually grumpy (though apparently also really happy according to some statistics???), don’t talk much and will stand at least 2 meters apart while waiting for the bus. I would even say it’s a bit odd, that me, a Finn, from a tiny village is crazy enough to go on an exchange. Like woah. I’m going to a whole new world. Meeting new people. What even?
In conclusion, I’m a Finn – who Finnish speaking Finns will know and sometimes even ask or assume – that Finnish is not my first language. Even though it kind of is? Because I have two mother tongues, thanks to my parents. I’ve just gone to Swedish speaking schools pretty much all my life, up until the time I started studying in English, after grade 12.
I’m a Finland Swede, and I wouldn’t change one thing.
This is me. And this is my Finland Swedish Finnishness.
I hope you learned something. Tack å hej. Miranda out.
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