So in these weeks news, let's focus on the Finnish people!
Firstly though, I have to mention something about Finnish people in relation to my learning. To put it bluntly there aren't a lot of Finns in any of my classes. You'll find one or two maybe, but nine times out of ten the student next to you is just as foreign as you are. On one hand that's nice, you already have something in common, but on the other hand, I came here to have classes with Finnish people, and I'm kind of missing out on that.
Which leads me to the real point: Finnish People Are...
1. Shy! Of course not all Finns are shy, you can't generalize a whole culture, but even Finns will jokingly admit to this fact.
2. Really interested in talking to you, but they won't. Unlike back in the South, people here live by the rules, "Keep your nose out of other people's business". I can't even explain how many times I've been talking at a shared lunch table with someone and looked up to see a Finnish person practically bursting at the seams to join in on the conversation. So what do I do? Of course I include them in. After the quick look of shock that undoubtably will pass their face, they'll happily join in and you'll have a lovely conversation.
3. Always willing to help! Even if they can't speak English very well and you can speak little to no Finnish, they won't give up on you. They don't raise their voices either which is something a lot of people could really take notes on. My two prime examples are when I went to Ikea and I asked the cashier a question and she did everything in her power to mime and use her little English to explain to me what I needed to do, and the sweet boy at my University who walked me through the whole building to show me where my classroom was even though he wasn't 100% sure where it was either.
4. Hilarious~! Once you make a Finnish friend you'll completely understand this. Maybe it's just the friends I've made, but I've not met a Finn yet who wasn't completely hilarious. Sometimes jokes get lost in translation, but when you find them again, man, it's hilarious.
5. Clean. Do you wear your shoes in the house? I do! However, the Finns do not. I notice though that a lot of places outside of the US do this. Honestly, I think it's a great thing to do. Sure, it can lead to clutter around the front door if you don't set up a good shoe rack, but it keeps so much dirt and debris from the rest of your house.
6. Recylcers, but not in the way you think... Finnish people do recycle, and there are containers for biowaste and regular waste all around the school, but what is taken most seriously is plastic bottles. The thing is though, a strange thing happens with these plastic bottles. Too lazy to take it to the store and get your money back? Just throw it in the street! No joke, that bottle won't even be on the ground for more than a minute before someone (usually homeless) will come by with a bag filled with other bottles to pick it up. I've even seen people with little sticks so they can reach into garbage cans and pull out these cans and bottles. You usually get like 0.20€ for them, but money is money, and at least it helps with recycling.
And Lastly....
Finnish people are friendly! I'm sure you've gathered that from everything I said already, but seriously, once you make a Finnish friend you always have someone to do something with. So far I've gone to an American diner, played table top games, had dinner, and just relaxed with my Finnish friends either at their own houses or out in public and it's wonderful. Sure I still mostly hang out with International students, but that's simply because we have more time to waste. When my Finnish friends have extra time though, they always invite me to come hang out with them. It's wonderful, and it makes me feel so much better about my decision to come here.
Anyways, at the end of another long post I just have to say that I do enjoy it here, and though I've had some awkward run ins and some pitfalls, I look forward to every day I wake up in my dormitory in Tampere.
Moi moi~! Until next time!
Brieana K.
Firstly though, I have to mention something about Finnish people in relation to my learning. To put it bluntly there aren't a lot of Finns in any of my classes. You'll find one or two maybe, but nine times out of ten the student next to you is just as foreign as you are. On one hand that's nice, you already have something in common, but on the other hand, I came here to have classes with Finnish people, and I'm kind of missing out on that.
Which leads me to the real point: Finnish People Are...
1. Shy! Of course not all Finns are shy, you can't generalize a whole culture, but even Finns will jokingly admit to this fact.
2. Really interested in talking to you, but they won't. Unlike back in the South, people here live by the rules, "Keep your nose out of other people's business". I can't even explain how many times I've been talking at a shared lunch table with someone and looked up to see a Finnish person practically bursting at the seams to join in on the conversation. So what do I do? Of course I include them in. After the quick look of shock that undoubtably will pass their face, they'll happily join in and you'll have a lovely conversation.
3. Always willing to help! Even if they can't speak English very well and you can speak little to no Finnish, they won't give up on you. They don't raise their voices either which is something a lot of people could really take notes on. My two prime examples are when I went to Ikea and I asked the cashier a question and she did everything in her power to mime and use her little English to explain to me what I needed to do, and the sweet boy at my University who walked me through the whole building to show me where my classroom was even though he wasn't 100% sure where it was either.
4. Hilarious~! Once you make a Finnish friend you'll completely understand this. Maybe it's just the friends I've made, but I've not met a Finn yet who wasn't completely hilarious. Sometimes jokes get lost in translation, but when you find them again, man, it's hilarious.
5. Clean. Do you wear your shoes in the house? I do! However, the Finns do not. I notice though that a lot of places outside of the US do this. Honestly, I think it's a great thing to do. Sure, it can lead to clutter around the front door if you don't set up a good shoe rack, but it keeps so much dirt and debris from the rest of your house.
6. Recylcers, but not in the way you think... Finnish people do recycle, and there are containers for biowaste and regular waste all around the school, but what is taken most seriously is plastic bottles. The thing is though, a strange thing happens with these plastic bottles. Too lazy to take it to the store and get your money back? Just throw it in the street! No joke, that bottle won't even be on the ground for more than a minute before someone (usually homeless) will come by with a bag filled with other bottles to pick it up. I've even seen people with little sticks so they can reach into garbage cans and pull out these cans and bottles. You usually get like 0.20€ for them, but money is money, and at least it helps with recycling.
And Lastly....
Finnish people are friendly! I'm sure you've gathered that from everything I said already, but seriously, once you make a Finnish friend you always have someone to do something with. So far I've gone to an American diner, played table top games, had dinner, and just relaxed with my Finnish friends either at their own houses or out in public and it's wonderful. Sure I still mostly hang out with International students, but that's simply because we have more time to waste. When my Finnish friends have extra time though, they always invite me to come hang out with them. It's wonderful, and it makes me feel so much better about my decision to come here.
Anyways, at the end of another long post I just have to say that I do enjoy it here, and though I've had some awkward run ins and some pitfalls, I look forward to every day I wake up in my dormitory in Tampere.
Moi moi~! Until next time!
Brieana K.