Engulfed in darkness at -26 Celsius (-15F)

I told myself I wouldn't complain about this winter season in Finland.  However, the winter which commenced in late November with a blizzard, isn't even half over and I am already counting the days till Spring.  We just experienced the two coolest days of the season and the coldest single day since I moved to Finland.  Last Saturday morning it reached -26 Celsius (-15 Fahrenheit).  That was officially the coolest day I have ever experienced anywhere.  As much as I love outdoor activities, I wasn't able to go for a walk or ski.  Some days are just meant to be indoors.  I think 15 degrees below zero Fahrenheit qualifies as a day you just stay inside and keep warm.  :)

A rare glimpse of  the sun

I won't lie to you, Finnish winters are definitely challenging.  Many might think that the cold, freezing weather conditions are the worst part of the winter.  While the cold is not always comfortable, in my opinion the most difficult aspect is the darkness.  This time of year in Southern Finland it gets light around 9:30 in the morning and gets dark again starting around 4:00pm. That doesn't sound all that bad, and trust me it is much worse in Northern Finland.  However, what people who don't live here don't know is that most of those days, the sun almost never appears.  It slowly creeps up the horizon each morning and sets each evening, but it is normally obscured by clouds.  This time of year, it seems the cloud cover goes on for weeks and magically all of a sudden the clouds depart leaving blue skies that I once thought had disappeared forever.  And trust me, I celebrate those days when the sky reappears to cast its bright blue spell.

Secondly, my next biggest complaint about the winter is the slippery, icy sidewalks and streets.  It makes no difference, what type of shoes you wear, you will slip if you do not walk carefully.  You must slowly trudge along, kind of like a penguin.  It sometimes feels as you are walking on glass or an ice rink. Then, sometimes a small powdery snowfall will dump a light cover on top of the ice, making it even slicker than you thought was possible.

Lastly, I must complain about the whole driving experience.  First, you must always plan on starting your car 5-10 minutes before your leave.  While the engine is warming, you can scrape off the ice layer on your windshield and windows, and if necessary dig the snow out of the driveway.  There is nothing worse than pulling out of the driveway and spinning your tires in the deep snow cover and going no where.  Then you must try to drive safely to avoid sliding all over the road, even though you are armed with the latest high tech snow tires.  Knock on wood, I haven't actually had any accidents, but several times my car slid as I tried to stop at various stop lights, nearly avoiding hitting the car in front of me.  Sometimes there is just no control and not much the driver can do.

The challenging winters are an inevitable part of living in Finland.  But, as I blogged last winter, with a positive attitude and by using some of the techniques I posted, you can overcome the winter and go on with life.  Maybe I will re-read this section myself again for tips.  :)

http://scandinavianinterlude.blogspot.fi/2012/01/tips-on-surviving-finnish-winter.html

A winter's smiles among the darkness.

A traditional Finnish New Year's Eve

Like most countries, Finland also celebrates on New Year's Eve.  Beyond the typical drinking and late night parties, Finland has a specific custom practiced on New Year's eve which tries to predict the following year.  This involves melting down a tin horseshoe with a specialized ladle over the stove.   One places the small tin horseshoe in the spoon and then lifts it over the hot stove top.  Once the tin is melted, it is then dropped into a cold bucket of water where it will change from liquid to solid again.  It is any one's guess what shape will transform once the tin turns solid again and it is safe to say there will never be two identical ones.  This is the second New Year's eve our family has spent in Finland and the second time we have practiced this tradition.  We have uncovered shapes from the melted down tins, such as leaves, dragons and even a lady.  However, many times the shape is just a inanimate blob of melted down tin.  Let's just hope these are not exactly accurate predictions of the upcoming year.  :)

Unlike in the USA where fireworks are illegal in most States, fireworks are legal between certain hours on New Year's eve in Finland.  Anyone over 18 can purchase and light fireworks in Finland.  Our family typically buys a few packages of fireworks to shoot off .  Starting at about 6pm, until just after midnight is a constant cacophony of various fireworks.  We started the children off with some sparklers, which were followed by some actual rockets and roman candles.  Like myself in the middle of my childhood years, my children love to watch colorful rockets exploding in the sky.  Luckily with all the snow covering the ground, shooting off the rockets was a safe and enjoyable experience.

As in most Holidays in Finland, store and services are usually closed or have very limited hours.  New Year's eve was a short day for most business and New Years Day everything (including food stores) are closed.   In the USA, New Years Eve is a normal day and you can still find some store and restaurants open on New Years Day. Here's to a happy and prosperous 2013!

My first white Christmas

The main road just outside our driveway 

Officially winter began a few days ago, but if you live in Finland the darkness, snow and cool frigid air have been hanging around for several weeks already.  They say that February is the coolest month in Finland, but since late November the temps have already dipped down in the single digits Fahrenheit (minus 10 or more Celsius). Mother nature ushered in a blizzard in late November to remind me once again that I no longer live in California where people are complaining about a little "cold", rain and frost in the mornings.  The snow fall has been quite steady on and off for several weeks now and I am learning what it means to do "snow work" in my new home.  Our current home has a long driveway and the snow must be shoveled at least once or twice per day after a hard snowfall.  I think I am getting used to it, at least it is good exercise.  We have received approximately 27+ inches of snow (70 centimeters) this December.  This is a great amount even by Finnish standards this early in the season.

The benefits of the snowfall is that it helps to combat the darkness by brightening things up a bit and it gives the kids many creative things to do outside after school.  It is also fun to get out and go cross country skiing or walking in the winter wonderland.  I am actually very happy to be able to celebrate a White Christmas this year which will be a first for me.  In California where I grew up it would be virtually impossible to get snow on Christmas and there was always this romanticism tied to the notion of a "White Christmas".  Therefore this year is really a special and unique Christmas for me and my family.  I wanted to wish all my family, friends and other blog readers a safe and happy holiday season.  I started my expat blog one year ago and have really appreciated the support and comments.  Cheers and Happy New Years!

Recharging my batteries before the long Finnish winter

After 15 months of living in Finland, I waited patiently and finally made it back home.  Knowing that November is a dark and dreary month in Finland, I thought I would take advantage of the cheaper late autumn flights and come home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Also, I thought the longer being away from home would hopefully help me to rediscover and appreciate it more. I was very excited to make the long journey back to California after so long and had some nervous anticipation of what to expect after having been away from family and friends for so long.

It felt quite surreal as the plane touched down in San Francisco International airport.  Was the Bay Area going to be this magical land of my lost dreams or just a big let down?   Well, the trip home started with a massive traffic jam along the freeways from the airport in San Francisco most of the way home to Moraga where my parents reside.  The ride home would normally only take 40 minutes, but in bumper to bumper traffic it turned into about 1 hour 20 minutes to get home.  Welcome back home Mark, if you didn't forget we actually have "real" traffic here in California, not like Finland.

Like anyone who leaves their country and returns home to visit, there are certain items one craves and misses.  For me, they were simple items, like eating fresh hummus, fresh salsa and authentic Mexican food (not Tex Mex).  Not to mention, getting good San Francisco sourdough bread.  Oh, those little pleasures in life.  Of course, it was awesome catching up with family and friends and getting a big dose of sunshine.  We actually headed up to the Sonoma Valley (an area famous for vineyards) one day and had a beautiful outdoor lunch at Francis Ford Coppola's winery.  We lucked out with the weather on that day, as it as actually around 22 Celsius (71 Fahrenheit).  I had forgotten that Novembers in Northern California can actually be quite nice if one is lucky.  The weather went from about 16 - 22 Celsius during my stay (60-71 Fahrenheit).  Coming from a cold and rainy Finland, this was just what the doctor ordered.

What did I really learn and notice about coming back to the San Francisco Bay Area from Finland? Besides the ever present traffic and crowds, I also noticed the American marketing machine is still on full throttle ahead.  I went to a Target shop (US chain store that has a bit of everything) to grab some small items to bring back to Finland.  It was becoming the Christmas season (mid November), but still a bit early and before the famous Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving Holiday).  However, the store was packed and frantic shoppers were buying everyone under the sun.  The store and shoppers were definitely on full Xmas mode.  I guess that is one thing I had forgotten while living in Finland.  With the exception of Hullut Päivät (Crazy days) at Stockmann, Finland doesn't really engage in this kind of marketing fervor and mad house shopping.  Also, I noticed that I had to keep a bit of a closer eye on my 6 year old son while shopping in large stores and even playing outside in the front yard of my parent's home. The United States is a big place and unfortunately children do occasionally get snatched or hit by cars.  Even though I grew up and lived in very safe neighborhoods in California, I would definitely say that Finland as a whole is safer.

So, the trip was wonderful in may ways and my batteries were definitely recharged.  I will always have a place in my heart for the San Francisco Bay Area that is not going away.  With that said, I think experiencing a different place and a new culture can only grow you as an individual.  Did coming home make me regret moving with my family to Finland?  No, I wouldn't say so, but it definitely made me appreciate things at home I might have once taken for granted.   There isn't month that goes by when someone in Finland asks me why I decided to leave sunny California behind to come here.   Beyond explaining the family move, I usually tell them the same thing, I tell them that California is and will always be my home and it is not going away.  I let them know that I am happy to experience their country and explore a new culture in Europe and I tell them that I will eventually return to my San Francisco Bay Area when this Scandinavian interlude ends.

Excuse me

OK, so I will hopefully not get any "hate mail" from Finns for posting this. I just wanted to keep to the theme of the "observer", based on my experiences and observations living in Finland for the last year.  So, this week's topic is on manners and using "excuse me" ("anteeksi" in Finnish). Anteeksi translates into "pardon me", "excuse me" or just plain "sorry".  Finns also say the actual English words "sorry" or "oops" in other situations.

In my observations over the last year, I have noticed that Finns rarely use "excuse me" unless they pretty much accidentally run into you.  :)  If you are standing in an aisle at the store looking at something and then someone is about to come down that aisle with a shopping cart (assuming they cannot get by without you moving), they will typically stand there with a look of frustration in their face if you do not move away and let them through.  They will typically remain silent and wait for you to move out of the way.  A simple "excuse me" (anteeksi) would work wonders for me, but most folks just don't seem to want to say that in Finland.

I am not sure if it is just me, but I also notice a general lack of patience these days. Maybe, I am just stuck in Californian time.  :)  Just the other day, I went to the grocery store on a crowded Friday night.  First of all, the cars were storming in and out of the parking lot, fighting for spots and not really paying attention to anything.  I was walking through the parking lot and practically had to dodge cars that didn't seem to care or notice that I was trying to cross the road.  Then, once I got into the store itself, I could barely walk without getting trampled over by shoppers.  You would have thought they were rushing to get the last items on the shelf as if they were preparing for the apocalypse.  The reality was that Saturday was a Holiday and they were stocking up for the weekend since the stores would be closed.  However, the stores would open again on Sunday, so not the end of the world.

I don't really get annoyed anymore by the apparent rudeness of some folks in these situations.  It might not be actual rudeness in some situations, but a lack of wanting to talk.  I just try to go on with my day and keep a smile on my face when encountering these situations.  The point is that you cannot change people and cultures, you need to accept them for what they are.  Certain situations living abroad are going to seem a bit more annoying than others, but one must remember that they are no longer in their own country and they must adapt to cultural standards and norms no matter how odd they might feel.  My solution is just to keep being my polite self and smile at everyone.   

The Finnish home versus the American home

This idea has already be written about by other bloggers, but it is something I had personally been thinking about for a while.  There are many differences between the American home and the Finnish home, some obvious and others subtle.  I thought it might be interesting to discuss a few of them for this current blog article.

I have mentioned this in a much earlier blog entry, the biggest difference is the size of the home.  Many Finns live in homes with their families that are around 100 square meters, which is about 1,100 square feet.  You typically don't see homes more than 175 square meters ( 1,900 square feet).  Of course, there are bigger and smaller homes, but they aren't the standard.  There are 2 reasons for this that I can see: 1)  Finns are generally more efficient than Americans, they are wise with the space they have and do not need tons of extra "wasted" space.  2)  The Nordic weather means that you need to heat your house and it would be very costly to heat your 3,000 square foot mansion for 5-6 cold months each year.  :).  The home we are living in now is a bit smaller than our home in California, but I have gotten used to it and we use space more efficiently.

Finnish homes typically have plain white walls!  I am not sure why many Finns like the plain white walled look because I really don't care for it.   I think it is sterile and cold.  Luckily, the home we are currently living in is not typical of a Finnish home.  Many of the walls were painted with various colors.  I personally want to avoid a hospital like environment in my home and appreciate some color.  Seems like Finns have a fear of using colors.   :)

Many Finnish home do not have a drying machine.  Americans definitely don't understand this one and would hate the inconvenience, but it seems that now Finnish families with younger kids do have drying machines.  I think much of the older generation got used to just hang drying their clothes and many others feel the extra energy used it just wasted.  Yea, I agree it is less energy wasteful to hang dry clothes, but sorry I am just going to be lazy and pop my clothes in the dryer and enjoy the convenience.  :)

Finnish homes generally have smaller kitchens and smaller appliances.  You typically don't see these over the top American style kitchens in Finland.  You know the ones with the huge counter tops, Island in the center, 6 grills, double refrigerator, huge double oven, stone pizza oven, pots and pans hanging down, etc.  I am sure that there are exceptions, but I haven't seen them myself.  Sure, it is nice to have all this fancy stuff, but you can still cook just about anything with a smaller kitchen.  It just takes some planning, preparation and patience.  I never really had an excessive American kitchen, so I am doing just fine with the smaller version here in Finland.

I have yet to see a home in Finland with either a "walk-in" closet or a master bathroom.  These items are very typical of  the American household.   I think just about every home in American has a master bathroom, and many have "walk-in" style closets.  Sure, they are nice to have, but now that I have moved with to Finland, I realize that they are not necessary.  Having more is not always better.  However, I do have to admit that they are nice to have, especially the privacy and convenience of the master bathroom that is always separated from the other bathrooms that are used in America for the children or guests.

Finnish homes are generally well insulated and have more efficient heating systems.  Most Americans homes have central air and heating units where the air is pumped up through the home.  These systems are a bit noisy and don't seem as efficient now having lived in Finland for the last year.  The more outdated way in Finland to heat a home is to use individual floor heating units they call "batteries".  In the newer homes each room has individual floor heating, that can also be controlled individually. It is nice to be able to control the rooms you want, instead of just pumping warm air through the vents throughout the entire home.  The heating systems in Finland make no noise and keep the rooms warm for several hours after they are turned off. I guess it makes sense that the systems are more efficient in Finland, considering how cold the winters can get.  I wonder why the United States doesn't seem to get past their noisy and clunky central air heating systems?  Anyhow, I find many of these differences interesting after having spent a year abroad.

Hullut Päivät - Crazy Days

It seems that American marketing techniques have infiltrated Finland.  This week, Finland's largest department store, Stockmann had their "Hullut Päivät" or "Crazy days" store promotions.  And crazy it was, it brought hordes of maniacal shoppers to the stores.  They had massive amounts of signs and promotions to lure in customers in, like pieces of metal being sucked into one giant magnet.  


Since I have lived in Finland, I have not seen many American style marketing tactics being used, with most stores just doing some basic newspaper promotions, etc.  The recent event at Stockmann was like experiencing the day after Thanksgiving's "Black Friday" in America all over again.  The parking lots were full early and the stores were buzzing with energy.  The stores even featured people dressed in costumes and they were having canned conversations with each other to create more fervor.  It went something like this "Hey, did you know about the great deal in electronics", "No, can you show me" and then they would proceed to the electronics department trying to lure more suckers along with them.

The irony of these crazy days is that there aren't really any crazy good sales going on.  They are simply sucking you in and then giving a few good deals, but most of the items are not really at bargain basement prices.  They had many items in bins just outside the store to get your attention and then the shoppers would walk into the store and unload half their wallets.   I never thought the Finns were very good at marketing, but Stockmann has it down to a science.  Finnish businesses should take note, but is this a good thing?  Let me now your opinion on the American marketization of Finnish products.    Who knows before long Black Friday will invade Finland, but I sure hope not anytime soon.