Helsinki, Finland… February… +3°… I was expecting -20° and polar bears in the streets… disappointed!!
Things posted about Finland
“Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I want to be,
Pony trekking or camping,
Or just watching TV.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
It’s the country for me.
You’re so near to Russia,
So far from Japan,
Quite a long way from Cairo,
Lots of miles from Vietnam.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I want to be,
Eating breakfast or dinner,
Or snack lunch in the hall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.
You’re so sadly neglected
And often ignored,
A poor second to Belgium,
When going abroad.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I quite want to be,
Your mountains so lofty,
Your treetops so tall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.
Finland, Finland, Finland,
The country where I quite want to be,
Your mountains so lofty,
Your treetops so tall.
Finland, Finland, Finland.
Finland has it all.
Finland has it all.”
Composer: Michael Palin
Author: Michael Palin
Arranger: John Du Prez
Lead Singer: Michael Palin
“Work” of finnish supermarket employees during Christmas,
Today I tried the traditional Avantouinti or “winter swimming”. It consists in being in a sauna so hot that you skin hurts (100-110°C) and then swim in freezing water, often a hole in the ice has to be done. I did it five times in a row (sauna-water…) and I should say I liked it, maybe next Sunday I will repeat the experience. They say the benefits of Avantouinti are,
- improves cold resistance;
- lowers blood pressure;
- reduces aches and pains;
- relieves stress;
- good for your skin;
- releases dopamine, serotonin and endorphines;
- very relaxing and helps you sleep better;
My skin is still crunchy from the extreme sauna and my balls are to be found somewhere near my lungs after the swimming!
After five months living in Finland today I had my first finnish lesson! It’s a complete beginners course so it’s definitely the place for me.
I didn’t have any lessons since I graduated so it was nice, and as I didn’t know the place, the teacher, or any of the other students it felt like in the first day of school where everything is new and strange. However the teacher was always very cheerful and funny and the class was relaxed and informal so the strangeness so disappeared.
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