USA to Finland: Apply for Residence here or there?
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Rahela-Hanna
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:55 pm
- Location: Asheville, NC, USA
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Rahela-Hanna
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 11:55 pm
- Location: Asheville, NC, USA
Oh. Ah, that's quite all right, dear TopDog. I myself've paraded through a few places, primarily in Sweden, as many different things. Those Swedes just never seem to believe that I'm a Swede, too! I guess I look much more Finnish. Damn my light hair!
"Bury me standing! I've been on my knees all my life."
- Old Romani saying
- Old Romani saying
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Hank W.
- The Motorhead
- Posts: 29973
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
- Location: Mushroom Mountain
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You are an *American* - wannabe-status does not count honey.
I was explaining one dude he is not "black" in Finland. (its a racial slurreserved for the gypsies anyway). He is 1. American (by passport) 2. English-speaking (by first language) and if anyone asked his color, creed* or or race in a form that would be 2 years mandatory jail.
*ok they ask it if you are "normal" lutheran or"orthodox" or "anything else" for tax purposes...
(BTW if you were in that big velvet dress thats definitely only Finnish roma thing)
I was explaining one dude he is not "black" in Finland. (its a racial slurreserved for the gypsies anyway). He is 1. American (by passport) 2. English-speaking (by first language) and if anyone asked his color, creed* or or race in a form that would be 2 years mandatory jail.
*ok they ask it if you are "normal" lutheran or"orthodox" or "anything else" for tax purposes...
(BTW if you were in that big velvet dress thats definitely only Finnish roma thing)
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
No clue what you think I wannabe or what big velvet dress you're referring to *darling* but would love to be clued in.Hank W. wrote:You are an *American* - wannabe-status does not count honey.
(And if you were in thet big velvet dress thats definitely only Finnish roma thing)
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry & has been widely regarded as a bad move.
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Hank W.
- The Motorhead
- Posts: 29973
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
- Location: Mushroom Mountain
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If you speak Finnish or live here as a resident = you are a Finn.
Americans are never "Americans" they're this-Americans or that-Americans. Sorry, you come to me and claim being Finnish-American and after I give you a diatribe in Finnish and go "huh" = you are a wannabe-American.
You are born and bred in the USA, you have no clue of Finns or the mentality = you are a wanna-be.
Big black velvet dress is a Finnish romany thing. They are one of the few insular peoples that wear a somewhat 1500-1600 century baroque outfit. Certain (strict) rules apply. Like the Sami and wearing a 4-corner cap if you're not a Sami...
I'd like to meet an American that would go "I am a yeaa-haa yankee doodle dandy" I am proud of my culture - I the wannabes just lack it...
Like I am a Finn; I could claim I am a Swedish-Finn, due to 1/2 of my ancestry and my names. But I do not, as I am not "of the duckpond" and do not "belong" to them by schooling nor language culture. I might describe myself as a "Helsinkian" - but I am not "barefoot" as both my parents went to be born in the boondox and moved in a few years old. Granted my grandfather on my mother's side was apparently a "red" and got home "shattin and puking" in 1918 off the concentration camp. And my father always jived my mother being a sudeten-savonian; but I'd never claim being some Pielisensuu hick. You know; I have pride in what I am; not what my ancestry is.
Americans are never "Americans" they're this-Americans or that-Americans. Sorry, you come to me and claim being Finnish-American and after I give you a diatribe in Finnish and go "huh" = you are a wannabe-American.
You are born and bred in the USA, you have no clue of Finns or the mentality = you are a wanna-be.Big black velvet dress is a Finnish romany thing. They are one of the few insular peoples that wear a somewhat 1500-1600 century baroque outfit. Certain (strict) rules apply. Like the Sami and wearing a 4-corner cap if you're not a Sami...
I'd like to meet an American that would go "I am a yeaa-haa yankee doodle dandy" I am proud of my culture - I the wannabes just lack it...
Like I am a Finn; I could claim I am a Swedish-Finn, due to 1/2 of my ancestry and my names. But I do not, as I am not "of the duckpond" and do not "belong" to them by schooling nor language culture. I might describe myself as a "Helsinkian" - but I am not "barefoot" as both my parents went to be born in the boondox and moved in a few years old. Granted my grandfather on my mother's side was apparently a "red" and got home "shattin and puking" in 1918 off the concentration camp. And my father always jived my mother being a sudeten-savonian; but I'd never claim being some Pielisensuu hick. You know; I have pride in what I am; not what my ancestry is.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
Aha! Now I get it though I don't recall ever claiming to be anything other who I am. I also don't have much need for labeling people unless, of course, it's making fun of my own uncle who can barely speak English and has been the butt of kidding since he became he a citizen many years ago. It's all in good fun 
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry & has been widely regarded as a bad move.
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Hank W.
- The Motorhead
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- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
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Not necessarily - your uncle probably whipped his kids to "learn English" and demanded they "speak in tongues". Hence the 2nd generation or 3rd is quite much lost the bilingualism. It is the same thing in Finland now. Its not much of an asset in the job market speaking somalian... happens with all immigrants. To have *fluently* bilingual kids is the thing. It is though interesting - must be the strong community - most of the hispanic 2nd generation seem to be quite fluent in the USA. I'd say an anglo in Finland can keep fluent bilingualism; but rarer languages with smaller communities, hispanic - no dice.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
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Hank W.
- The Motorhead
- Posts: 29973
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
- Location: Mushroom Mountain
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Oh, and you notice I am quite blunt.
I am not "touchy-feely merkin my travel agent told me" - type.
Been there, done that. I am not nice, I got done military service here. You get polite and you die. So I am just presenting you the 'Finn' - you will need to embrace yourself for the worst to make it, as otherwise you'll end up with the RRHWS crying for peanut butter and fahrenheit grades... See now your Finnish bloke needs to be all touchy-feely as he needs to score, but I can't give a flying ferk over some other mans wife so I am your advocate of the devil. I do not sell you Finland. My best advice is to stay as far from here as you can. But nobody believes poor old Hank...
I am not "touchy-feely merkin my travel agent told me" - type.
Been there, done that. I am not nice, I got done military service here. You get polite and you die. So I am just presenting you the 'Finn' - you will need to embrace yourself for the worst to make it, as otherwise you'll end up with the RRHWS crying for peanut butter and fahrenheit grades... See now your Finnish bloke needs to be all touchy-feely as he needs to score, but I can't give a flying ferk over some other mans wife so I am your advocate of the devil. I do not sell you Finland. My best advice is to stay as far from here as you can. But nobody believes poor old Hank...
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
Indeed I do apprecaite your candor. It's actually refreshing to hear something that is not sugar coated. My Finnish bloke is far from a gentle personality; I've become used to him and know what I can expect from him. I don't know you personally so perhaps I have misunderstood some of the things you have said in the past. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not in an "american" forum here and if anyone is going to get confused it's going to be me.
My uncle made sure that his daughter spoke his native laguage as well as English. Had my father taught me the Italian he grew up with I'd be happier. Instead I learned to speak to my uncle in his native language. Being bilingual has been a great experiance for me and I agree with you on that. I can limp along though a conversation in Italian and even a little in French but not much.
You know what they say, when in Rome....
My family is very much a mixed breed. My father was born in Italy and came over on a boat with the rest of his brothers and sisters. My mothers family were Irish, German and Castillian and they too came over on a boat. On one side, I am first generation American. On the other, second generation American. Being American means more than just being born in the US. I am extremly proud of my cultural heritage as much as I am proud to live in the country of my birth. The only "real" American's are the native Americans. If I think about what you said, that makes all of us Wanna Be Americans.
Because I live here, it does not mean that I am a sheep and follow popular opinion. It does not mean I think everything American is better than anything else. It also does not mean I think war is an answer to everything or that a red arsed Gibbon makes a decent president. I'm a poor slob just like the rest of the people I know, trying to keep a roof over my head, earn a living, take care of the people I love and honeslty trying not to hurt anyone along the way.
What is so disappointing to me is that most of the opnion people in other countries have about Americans is only absorbed through media presentation...they've never set foot on American soil nor have they ever had a conversation with one. Agreed, some Americans are truly obnoxious and embarass the rest of us, but not ALL of us are evil. Really!
My uncle made sure that his daughter spoke his native laguage as well as English. Had my father taught me the Italian he grew up with I'd be happier. Instead I learned to speak to my uncle in his native language. Being bilingual has been a great experiance for me and I agree with you on that. I can limp along though a conversation in Italian and even a little in French but not much.
You know what they say, when in Rome....
My family is very much a mixed breed. My father was born in Italy and came over on a boat with the rest of his brothers and sisters. My mothers family were Irish, German and Castillian and they too came over on a boat. On one side, I am first generation American. On the other, second generation American. Being American means more than just being born in the US. I am extremly proud of my cultural heritage as much as I am proud to live in the country of my birth. The only "real" American's are the native Americans. If I think about what you said, that makes all of us Wanna Be Americans.
Because I live here, it does not mean that I am a sheep and follow popular opinion. It does not mean I think everything American is better than anything else. It also does not mean I think war is an answer to everything or that a red arsed Gibbon makes a decent president. I'm a poor slob just like the rest of the people I know, trying to keep a roof over my head, earn a living, take care of the people I love and honeslty trying not to hurt anyone along the way.
What is so disappointing to me is that most of the opnion people in other countries have about Americans is only absorbed through media presentation...they've never set foot on American soil nor have they ever had a conversation with one. Agreed, some Americans are truly obnoxious and embarass the rest of us, but not ALL of us are evil. Really!
In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of people very angry & has been widely regarded as a bad move.
-
Hank W.
- The Motorhead
- Posts: 29973
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
- Location: Mushroom Mountain
- Contact:
Yeah, so now you know what the prejudices against you are
-it is not that pronounced in the Finnish population necessarily; but then again we got all these darn immigrants...
No, having lived there, you're not all half as nice as the media portrays you. I'd still swap my Finnish meter-of-snow-porch to a trailer in New Mexico
-it is not that pronounced in the Finnish population necessarily; but then again we got all these darn immigrants...
No, having lived there, you're not all half as nice as the media portrays you.
I'd still swap my Finnish meter-of-snow-porch to a trailer in New MexicoCheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.