Post
by Ninja » Thu Jan 28, 2016 2:01 pm
I'm American, but sadly not white :'''(
I know what you mean by American, and we know what we mean...but to Finns everything that seems to introduce or announce something about yourself comes off like bragging, as in America we call this just socializing and offering information about yourself.
Finland is a culture mostly of straight-forward facts, and answers. They don't really do the whole "getting-to-know-you" thing here, therefore they don't really care about anything else other than what your specific question is, or what is relevant to the situation or topic at hand...this of course comes off very arrogant and closed-off on their part, but that's just how they are. But of course we're called the egotistical loud-mouths because we breathe loudly and utter more than a few sentences with *gasp* something that can be taken as "positive" about yourself.
As you come to live in Finland, and as you sit on the insane-asylum quiet bus, that seems straight out of a horror movie as everyone stares out the window with a blank glaze on their faces with the deafening sound of silence, only broken by the opening and closing of the bus doors and engine. I mean you could close your eyes witha bus full of people and you would think you are alone...and then you'll contemplate why you chose to live in this society, and who's really the "weird" one here.
First thing as Americans is we underestimate how different things work here...while the "hustle" is still a good thing, things move slowly here, and instead of selling yourself and networking, you just patiently wait your turn. It's also a homogeneous society...therefore being "Finn" is the best option, and because you have the added benefit of speaking Finnish. It's kind of like those irrelevant countries in soccer matches, that the only people that really root for those teams are the people from the country, even though nobody knows who they are and what they've done in the world, to themselves they're still special..it's a very bound-by-blood type of social structure out in these European parts, where as in America we just look for the best damn person for the job.
In Finland it more comes down to those basic "facts" again, so basically what you know, what you went to school for, because in all honesty they probably don't care much about you personality wise because they don't likely plan on talking very much to you anyway, if anything they dread the time they'll have to speak English to your happy-go-lucky @ss with all your personally invasive questions, as even Finns that known each other for 40 years still don't know each others favorite color.
Therefore think of Finland more like a land of "Spocks" from StarTrek, very literal, sarcastic and fairly intelligent...however emotional and social unintelligent, as they don't really flex those muscles out here very often. And if they are emotional, they're like hippy-like, save-the-world types and then they trust any criminal or psychopath out there because they think all people are inherently good.
Finding a job is highly unlikely because of the language barrier, therefore as well as happiness, especially anywhere outside the "big cities". If you live in some village out in the woods consider yourself dead...expect your life to consist of awkward grocery store visits, no friends, and being home with your wife day in and day out for long stretches of time, and I don't care how good that pussy is, the pussy gets old if you eat it every day. And then you will miss your friends and family in your little wooden abode, until it's likely sitting in jail cell like a pie festering in the sun, and you contemplate why you ever came here.
The pay is alright, but the taxes are high. You likely won't have your own car, but maybe. You won't have anywhere to go if you do though, as Finland is just mostly forest. The social system is great, but a bit tedious and confusing that not even the Finns themselves understand it very much.
If you go to the bigger cities, people MIGHT be more social, but just a little bit, and you'll likely have to make friends with other expats and the like. Finns make their main group of friends at the age of 5, and have sex and socialize in their highschool and university years...and then it's all down hill from there. But that's their lives in a nut shell, don't come to Finland looking for excitement...unless you consider drunk middle-aged men peeing in the park in Summer "entertainment". However, they do have lots of attractive women, but you are married so scratch that...it's not like you could talk to them anyway...a traveling Finn is much different than a Finn in Finland.
Look, all in all it's a good country, beautiful nature, people aren't assholes like they are on here, on the contrary quite the contrary when you do get to know them...but they are sarcastic and brain goes straight to mouth, there's no formalities or social etiquette really...you could meet a group of people and be ignored or be chatted up, and if you are being chatted up they are 90 percent of the time drunk, but mostly likely you'll not be paid all that much attention to.
The system is overall good, lots of benefits, but it's for a basic life, nothing flashy which is good if you are a bum that wants to chill out...I'm sorry, "relaxed". But they're taking in a bunch of middle eastern young male refugees who heard the clinking of gold and so called riches of Europe...I'm sorry "people fleeing war", I mean it's so scary and dangerous there in their country, they decided to leave all the women behind, you know a place is dangerous when you've got to leave all the girls back at home to be raped and enslaved by whomever.
But I digress, and won't mention the fact that they came to look at white women walking down the street like a dog looks at a juicy steak. The point is, who knows how "safe" Finland will be in the long-run, which is one of perks of being here, for some reason they want to flush that down the toilet.
Future is questionable here, not the strongest economy (but still a well-managed country), not the friendliest place to live, and not the funnest either, in fact you'll probably do better if you're kind of an £$€¤%& like me...but it's safe, feels like you live in the forest, and you can keep to yourself (like isolated) without nobody bothering you about your personal business, which is a nice change, and a good place to raise kids.
If that sounds about right for you, then come on down! but realize, it's going to be tough if you don't really put in effort when you get here, and really intensely study the language, and unless you're around a group of people to interact with, then you might find yourself living in a very lonely world.
But hey, isn't that all humans are allowed to make little babies?