FinlandLive.Info - Finland Community
 Living, Studying, Working & Traveling in Finland

Gammer

Points: 1,249, Level: 19

Activity: 0%

My idea of a party is blasting out some trance, hardcore, hardstyle or DnB lol

Snow

have you been to the Streetparade in Zurich? I lived there around the corner

Gammer

Points: 1,249, Level: 19

Activity: 0%

No i havnt, looks cool though.

Next year iam travelling to UK to go to westfest for this hardcore festival wooo

Ekenäs

Points: 800, Level: 14

Activity: 33%

One Finn is sitting at a bar on Friday night.
The door opens, his friend comes in, sits down beside him and says 'Moi'.

The first Finn looks at him strange and says, 'Hey, are we hear to talk or to drink?'

Ekenäs

Points: 800, Level: 14

Activity: 33%

In Ireland, nobody would bat an eyelid if somebody was walking down the street whistling or humming a tune. It wouldn't seem to unusual if on a nice sunny day somebody just broke into a spontaneous chorus of a traditional song. The idea of a postman whistling loudly whilst getting out of his post van, walking over and sticking letters in your front door is perfectly acceptable in Ireland.

It occurred to me that Finns don't do that. I was minding my own business yesterday, absent mindedly humming an Irish tune (not too loudly), pushing a trolley shopping in a local supermarket, when I became aware that other shoppers were showing signs of being disturbed. I of course stopped humming and tried to appear as if nothing untoward had occurred.

It was something I dwelt upon later. To an outsider, a foreigner, it would appear that such spontaneous expression is not generally approved of. You would be forgiven for thinking that Finns are quiet and moody especially if you come from a culture where singing , humming or whistling in a public place doesn't raise an eyebrow.

As I dwelt on this, it also occurred to me that Finns don't generally speak with their hands. If you don't know what I mean, watch a Latin (French / Spanish / Italian etc) for example when they speak - hands flying a plenty. Some cultures use hand gesticulation to emphasise visually points they are making verbally. If you came from such a culture you might find it odd that such communication is rarely used in Finland.

Just thoughts on the subject from somebody who lives here and has made it his home.

drummerac

Points: 2,274, Level: 28

Activity: 99%

I had the same experience as Ekenas.

I arrived in Helsinki for the first time a few years ago. After doing the usual sightseeing and visiting, I returned to visit a friend in Pohjois Haaga, we went for a walk in the forest. And suddenly I had an epiphany, "nobody is talking" I exclaimed! I was told that this is normal. I told my friend that I had been all over Helsinki on buses, trams and boats, and yet there was silence everywhere. There were couples walking hand in hand in that park, but still silence! That was really weird for me.

Ekenas, maybe they stared at you because they were too shy to ask you to raise your voice that reminded them of a nightingale singing at sunset over the shores of lake ladoga on a warm summmers evening.

I bumped into an old man in the train station restaurant last year, I apologised, but he only mumbled angrily under his breath....

Well you would look a little weird singing away to yourself walking through Dublin, but people wouldnt stare like in Finland.

In a cafe in Jyvaskyla with another friend, she spoke so low, almost in a whisper! I was very surprised.

But another friend in Helsinki (a man) spoke quite loudly (normal volume to me) we had a great chat tellign funny stories etc over a few beers, and we didnt need to get drunk.

There are lots of different types of Finns, I do like the silence even though at first it seemed a little strange. I do know that at times here, I wish people would just shut up. I have seen foreigners being racially insulted by complete strangers.

So a "silent" population is a double edged sword, the quiet finns seem very unfriendly but they dont insult complete strangers on the street either.

serenity38

Points: 936, Level: 16

Activity: 0%

All the finns I know are intelligent, hardworking, with great social skills. Moody?? When appropriate. Quiet...when appropriate. I am only moody when I am surrounded by laziness and people that have no respect for others...

Antonio

Points: 327, Level: 6

Activity: 0%

Hello drummerac!

Had to write short story relating to the subject, I remember I read this from a magazine. An american fella once visited in Finland, he went to see a friend family in here. They (family's man & he) went to fishing trip with a rowboat on a nice quiet evening time, one of those summer evenings when you can hear birds singing and insects flying and someone chopping wood in distance. Very peaceful and quiet evening. They had great time there, but afterwards the american told that during the whole 1-2hours, it was just absolutely horrible for him to sit in that rowboat and not to be able to speak at all, the quietness was killing him and same deal with the sauna.

I just found this hilarious, well, being a Finn, its hard for me at least to relate to such "absolute need for speech", but maybe thats one major cultural difference ? I allways thought the actual experience (whatever it is) is the whole idea in everything, not how much you get to talk.

datona

Points: 238, Level: 4

Activity: 0%

The finnish girls over here are cool.
they come across as intelligent and more secure. Id say quieter but not moody.

Would i be right in saying they don't expect as much romance as english girls do?
im currently in a relationship with one of them

Myrica

Points: 761, Level: 14

Activity: 50%

if they're quiet and moody
enough people from white sea regions(greece,italia,spain,turkey etc)is enough to change it!
i forgot to add irish and scottish people in it my favo
because
these people love talking