Thread: Snow experience

Hello guys,

I traveled to Finland with my friend last November. We visited Helsinki, Tempere, Rovaniemi and Levi in 11 days by ourselves. I quite like this beautiful country for many reasons. But I don't have chances to carry on much conversation when I was in Finland.

Finland winter felt fabulous for me. The thrilling cold, the freshest air I ever breathed on earth and the vast beautiful snow landscape... unforgettable. I couldn't possibly experience these in my place. Lying down on the snow hill while snowboarding, every thing felt so different as if being in another world.
At Levi, I saw a girl with a slogan on her T-shirt, said "Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to Lapland". Hahaha... considering the -40 degree Celsius situation... for a native citizen in Finland, the unforgiving cold might not be very pleasant. But not for me~~

I was prepared to experience -20 degree Celsius... but I didn't have a chance. The most northern place I reached, Levi, was about -4 degree. I brought lots of heavy clothes without a chance to use them. And I found actually, people on streets seems wearing clothing very trendy and not as heavy as I did... I was the weirdest one on streets, ~~~

Would you guys share some of your snow experience in Finland? Like how to live with -40 degree Celsius?... what to wear?... how to go to the bus station when it's so cold?... how to keep your cabin warm in the deep forest?... I really want to hear your stories!

If it has -28 C here in Helsinki I usually avoid to go outside...otherwise a good jacket and a pullover should work if you dont stay out too long

If you want to go out in -40, and lets face it, no one wants to do that, then yes, there are clothes available. Long underwear for a start, and over pants, as well as your normal winter gear. Hat, scarf, gloves, warm socks, wintercoat. It gets hard to breathe when it's that cold and you can't stay out for too long. All the hairs in your nose freeze anad stab you in the inside of your nose. That doesn't feel very nice. Around zero is pleasant, -10 is ok, -20 is tolerable for a while but anything colder than that is stay inside weather. You must come from a warm country like me.

Hello Peni,
Thank you very much for responding. I know that saying "I love cold" sounds stupid especially considering the -40C situation. But I really look forward to experience it. Yes, I'm from a sub-tropical place where my favorite winter is as short as two months. Thanks to global warming, the winter time is getting shorter. So, my short trip to Finland in winter time is very precious to me.
A young finn from other forum tought me his vivid winter recreational activities like fishing on frozen lake, observing the real bears around his cabin in deep forest, personal private swimming lake, etc.
I am grateful if anyone can share and teach me more about these happiness living in Finland. I'm so all ears!

Hello Guys,
It's kind of silent here~~~
I understand one'd better be quiet on a Finnish bus, but here is a forum, silence isn't good here, I guess~~~
It seems you guys don't want to share your snow experience...
Well, how about some Finnish jokes? (borrowed from my Finnish friend, hoping he won't care I borrow his jokes) Here it is...
"Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian guys walks in street, and sees a beautiful girl. The girl says, that she tests who will become her husband, they go on top of mountain, and girl asks one of guys next to her in edge, first norge, girl whispers something and guy jumps off the cliff, the same thing to Sweden, and when Finnish man comes, the girl whispers, I will marry you if you jump off this cliff, then Finnish responds, ladys first,,,,

Silence still~~ guess my Finnish friend's joke isn't quite funny, hum?

This one is my joke... ...
Boy says "Let's marry."
Girl says "If we get married, will you quit smoking?"
Boy says "Yes!"
Girl says "And quit drinking alcohol?"
Boy says "Yes!"
Girl says "And stop going to night clubs?"
Boy says "Yes!"
Girl says "Anything else to quit, then?"
Boy says "The intention to get married."

How about this one?

Your jokes are funny but maybe people don't want to talk about snow. I love it because to me it's exotic. My kids love it too. Hopefully we will get back to play in it next Christmas.

Hi Peni,
Thanks for reminding me it's not interesting. Truth is good and kind of sad though.
I'm cooking something interesting and laid-back topic here~~ still having no idea~~
Like you and your kids, I love it, too. Just can't help but loving it.

i now live in florida, usa where there is really no chance for snow other than a flurry every 10 years or so. i did live in new york city where we would get several snow storms a year usually with about 6 to 8 inches of snow. there the initial snowfall was, as it is everywhere beautiful, but within 2 days it turned into an ugly mess of dirty and sometimes frozen slush. as for the cold it really is about what temperature your body becomes accustomed to. if i went to helsinki right now i'm sure i would be freezing my butt off.