facts on Oulu.....

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Hank W.
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Re: btw

Post by Hank W. » Wed Jul 09, 2003 9:44 am

The Wolverine wrote:is that true hank. Is there really no word for please... :roll: So how do you request anything...
You use a conditional. Instead of 'give me' you say 'is it possible for you to give me' - of course in Finnish this is shorter, "anna" [1 person imperative]/ "antaisitteko" [3rd person conditional]. Finns are very short sometimes in their speech so one form of one word is very important. Also you address people differently. There is some archaic forms of address you use as polite forms.
: Should I join in a finnish language course or can i get along by picking up words?
See above :mrgreen:
If there are language courses, how much does they cost.. are they verry expensive?
Everything in Finland is expensive :mrgreen: , but the guys in helsinki for example go to evangelical church classes that cost an euro a class so not bad. The school you go to will 100% sure have Finnish courses for foreigners at the beginning level, then there is also different city organizations.


Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

Re: btw

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Hank W.
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Post by Hank W. » Wed Jul 09, 2003 9:49 am

The Wolverine wrote:But the problem with him is.... I cant understand his english
Ah, but you are from India... I have met some guys I need to make them chew toffee and speak because they say 25 words when the Finnish ear is used to hearing one :mrgreen: . For English speakers I need to generally instruct them to speak about 4 times slower to get the Finnish pace correct. This accent your friend has is very common in Finland. People with bad teachers and learning it at an old age cannot get it too good. Even now discerning s, sh, ch, th - for a Finn is just an ordeal they sweat profusely.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

PeterF
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Post by PeterF » Wed Jul 09, 2003 10:11 am

Hank W. wrote:[ For English speakers I need to generally instruct them to speak about 4 times slower to get the Finnish pace correct..
Very good advice even when speaking English to a Finn who you think is fluent.. especialy if you have a accent e.g. North of England or South of Bombay :wink:
My Finnish wife works in an Hotel, her English speaking is quite good, but if someone speaks to her too quickly in English :oops: :roll: I have leant to recognise the signs that she is not keeping up with the conversation.
The smile disappears and she screws up her eyes and frowns. :roll: .she has many guests from India, usualy visting the near by Nokia Head offices, and they of course speak English..but very quickly with a strong accent and at the same time lots of distracting guestures with their heads....She Pleads.."Please speak slowly!"

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Hank W.
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Post by Hank W. » Wed Jul 09, 2003 1:51 pm

Peter Floyd wrote: Finns usualy grunt just a "huomenta" = "morning" perhaps because they dont think mornings are "good" times.
Of course not, you work untill afternoon before you start earning money for yourself, before it goes to pay the taxes. :mrgreen:
We ought to tell you that Hank is a Finn..
Hey, thats 1/2 Coast-Hurri and 1/2 Sudeten-Savolax, and a 100% Vandal :mrgreen:
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

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Post by Hank W. » Wed Jul 09, 2003 2:03 pm

Peter Floyd wrote:.she has many guests from India, usualy visting the near by Nokia Head offices, and they of course speak English.
English... Uhh-uhh... Yes, I wish not to making a himalayan blunder like my cousin brother going eve chasing spending a crore and coming back losing his opticals but with eartops, where I can find a hotel what is not like some godown and the bearer isnt after lakh in tips?

...or something :mrgreen: And once you figure out what is going on there comes a Texan yee-haaw and some bwickleww farr njookaasll... :shock:
after some nights at the desk my ears hurt... or was it my brain.

Well, the thing is Finnish accents vary as well... I had a friend and asked if we'd go out. He said "I'll be in the yard at five". So I got ready and went and looked at him in the parking lot and got pissed off he was noplace and he sat in his apartment and got pissed off for me not showing up. "Yard" in his dialect meant "home". :mrgreen: try get someone from Rauma and Helsinki talk together with some dude from Kuopio they need an interpreting service
Last edited by Hank W. on Wed Jul 09, 2003 2:26 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

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nehia_qom
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Re: btw

Post by nehia_qom » Wed Jul 09, 2003 2:10 pm

The Wolverine wrote: by the way
Could ya help me on this : Should I join in a finnish language course or can i get along by picking up words? If there are language courses, how much does they cost.. are they verry expensive? Any help on this would b very much appericated.

Sam
There are also some interesting threads in the Kielikoulu section that you may want to check out.

Jess

When choosing between two evils, always choose the one you haven't tried yet.
- Mae West

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PeterF
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Post by PeterF » Wed Jul 09, 2003 2:24 pm

Hank W. wrote:[:
after some nights at the desk my ears hurt... or was it my brain.

Well, the thing is Finnish accents vary as well :D try get someone from Rauma and Helsinki talk together with some dude from Kuopio they need an interpreting service :D
I am sure that there is enough material available from Hotel receptionists to make a TV comedy series..
when neither guest or receptionist has English as a mother tongue but are forced to use it to communicate.
The best that I have witnessed was a Chinese couple asked.(sorry no Chinese accent!.
"Pleas missy what is in your down the stairs place!"
Response.."it is the Night club"
"Oh and what can we do there!"
"You can have fun at night time..but you should wear evening dress not shorts or sun tops!"
Later that evening the Chinese pair were seen going into the club wearing a shortie night dress and pyjamas! and had to be asked to leave when they started to have "fun" in public:roll:

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Hank W.
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Post by Hank W. » Wed Jul 09, 2003 2:27 pm

Peter Floyd wrote:I am sure that there is enough material available from Hotel receptionists to make a TV comedy series..
We watched "fawlty towers" as educational material for customer service situations. Had good discussions about the topics.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

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The Wolverine
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thank you all very much

Post by The Wolverine » Thu Jul 10, 2003 12:32 am

Hey guys,

I just wanna thank all of you for all the information u gave me. Thank you very much.

Good Job. 8)

Regards ~ sam. :D
"Whatjou doin'?"
"Thinkin'."
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Caroline
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advice on Oulu

Post by Caroline » Mon Jul 14, 2003 9:49 am

I'm an "adopted" Oululainen (Oulu resident), meaning that I originally took an interest in the city because of all of the Internet gatherings which take place here, and now I live here with my Finnish husband.

There is potentially so much I could advise you on, except for the work environment at Nokia ---->not an IT professional<------, so if you have any specific questions I can try to answer.

The Oulu area has indeed been the target of a lot of jokes and ridicule from Finnish people in other areas of the country- basically the only thing that has "saved" the city is the tech industry.

In my time here, I have mostly been in contact with locals; I know very few foreigners (3 to be exact), so I could give advice based on the perspective of a foreigner "living as a Finn" here. Despite the funky smell, ugly architecture, and moody native inhabitants, there is something strangely appealing about this city :)

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Hank W.
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Re: advice on Oulu

Post by Hank W. » Mon Jul 14, 2003 10:32 am

Caroline wrote: Despite the funky smell
Its *MONEY* , it can't stink!!! :mrgreen:

Do they still list prices of houses 'upwind' or 'downwind'?
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.


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