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06/02/08 |
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Visit to FinlandI just took 4 old friends from the States back to the airport after their 10-day trip to Finland. Before they left, I asked them to answer some questions about the trip.
Question: what was the most interesting place you visited? - The Workers’ Museum (note: it is like the Korttelimuseo in Kuopio). It is a great way to visualize history - The Amuri Workers’ Museum, especially since at first I thought that ‘Amuri’ was a very rich man who owned a bakery, 3 general stores, a stable for horses and 3 large homes! Then finally Mary told me they were talking about a place! - Birch/pine forests with all the moss and lichen and different kinds of birds I’d never seen before, not even pictures of them. - My favorite part of Finland were the forests and lakes. I love the birch trees, the wild berries, the golden-greeen fields and all the water.
What was the best food you ate in Finland? What about the worst? - The best were the fish and the potatoes. I don’t know why, but our potatoes taste different. The worst was reindeer. - Best: grilled vegetable salad. Worst: Chinese food - Best: blueberry pie, pike-perch with pesto. Worst: I don’t like smoked fish - Best: blueberry pie and all of the fish dinners. Worst: reindeer meat, which I guess just wasn’t prepared well
What was the funniest thing you noticed about Finland? - That there’s salt in the licorice, even in ice cream! Also, I saw a lot of old ladies whose hair was dyed purple. - That the dishwashing soap is called ‘Fairy’. That every Finn noticed just from looking at me that I was American and always said ‘Thank you’ even though I said ‘Kiitos’ to them. That Finns don’t have fans! - The Finns were wearing coats and long pants when I was in a T-shirt. I thought they would be like Canadians who wear shorts in freezing weather. It must be the saunas. - You could never have a supermarket called ‘KKK’ in the States (note: that would refer to the Ku Klux Klan). The food packaging (the graphic design of it) was much more simple here.
What do you think is the biggest difference between Finland and the US? - There’s much more equality here. That’s a good thing. And there’s much less crap in people’s houses. There are fewer consonants and many more vowels. - The design of the houses. Everything is very space efficient. I liked the design of the wooden chairs on Mary’s porch (note: they’re made from those old benches you had in ‘torppari’ houses) - People in Finland don’t yearn for big houses. Americans seem to think bigger is better, even when it’s way more space than they need. - The rich people don’t live in enormously big houses.
What was surprising about Finland? - The huge number of birch trees. People don’t say ‘hello’ to you in the street. That you have to take your shoes off in Finnish houses. - There’s no poison ivy – how great is that? You can walk in the forest without thinking about getting it. There are some big cars here – I thought they would all be tiny. So many people speak English. - I thought more people would be blond. The beer comes in different strengths. It can cost 85 euros to fill up a car with gas! - I thought everyone lived in apartments that were stacked on top of each other and the day care was at the bottom. I was surprised that so many U.S. movies were advertised. I didn’t know Finns like to tango.
What Finnish words did you learn? - ‘Kittos’ ‘Lapsas’ (kids) - Kiitos - Kiitos, Suomi, Hei, ‘laapsi’, ’paiva’ and ’jaarvi’ (I learned those before I came), ’uksi’ ’coxsi’ kolme, ’neelia’, viisi, kuusi, ’setseman’ (learned those from watching Lotto) - Otto (bank machine), kiitos, Suomi, sauna (I already knew that one). Does ‘euro’ count?
If you came back to Finland next summer, what would you do that you didn’t do this time? - Maybe go to Lapland or bike around Åland - I guess I couldn’t do it if I came in summer, but I’d like to see the Northern Lights. - Ride my bike on many of the bike trails. - Go kayaking in the archipelago.
What is something from Finland that you wish you could take back with you? - Red currant bushes and the clean air - Mary’s kids – they are fun! Also pine and birch trees to put in my back yard. - Wild blueberries, lots of birch trees, and Mary’s kids - I wish I could have a sauna in my apartment.
Was there something you read or heard about Finland before you came that you found was not true? - I thought the sun would be out 24 hours a day. Since it was August, that didn’t happen. I also thought it was never as hot as 32 degrees! - I heard that the mosquitos were so bad in July that the reindeer in Lapland ‘ran amok’ - My guide book said Helsinki would be empty in August but it wasn’t. - I read that the mosquitos would be bad but there weren’t many at all. # # WORDS: Stable: talli, Birch: koivu, Pine: mänty, Moss: sammal, lichen: jäkälä, Pike-perch: kuha, Dyed: värjätty, Fan: tuuletin, Vowel: vokaali, Yearn: kaivata, Poison ivy: a plant we have in forests which gives you a horrible rash when you touch it, Red currant: punaherukka, Blueberry: mustikka, ‘Run amok’: go crazy
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