adjustment from the US

[Mark I.]

First of all, Hank W. is a @#$% idiot.

[sinikala]

I'm still curious about my original questions - culture shock and re-adjustment to the culture.. I didn't intend to focus on jobs as much as I was hoping to hear about how foreigners (particularly from the US) find life in in Finland. People, political & religious attitudes, recreation, cultural scene, services, etc... We have lots of family there and we've stayed there for extended periods of time, but I just wanted to hear your experiences... Beyond the obvious differences, what has surprised you, shocked you, bothered you?

OK, I'll comment on what you wrote earlier;

As far as assimilating into the culture, yes, he'll have a language barrier for some time to come, but I imagine attending Finnish classes would also create some networks for him.

The courses I have attended were populated mainly by students, or people in Finland for traineeships / fixed term contracts. Most have been in the age range 18-25, then you get a few ex-pats who have been here for a while & you get the odd granny. Don't believe though, that it will give any kind of network unless the intention is to hang out with other foreigners.

To assimilate into the culture he'll need the language, sure, but more important is to network / interact with the locals, Enk usually gives good advice on this.

Hank has not mentioned Kekoslovakia yet, perhaps that pre-dates the early 90's? I only arrived in Finland in 2000, it has changed even since then. Finland has now been in the EU 12 years (only 5 when I arrived) and is much further along the path to harmonisation (some might say civilization ) you can even find peanut butter.

If you have been abroad since what? 1990? Then I guess the changes may come as quite a shock, this may not be the same Finland you left.

[priki]

Hank has not mentioned Kekoslovakia yet, perhaps that pre-dates the early 90's?

Kekkoslovakia was when Kekkonen was the president, that is 60's, 70's and early 80's. Long time ago..
But some of the good old kekkoslovakia guys still hang there. Two of them are now ministers.

[Hank W.]

First of all, Hank W. is a @#$% idiot.

Actually it is essentially true. I had made myself an escape, but came back, married and got a mortgage. The mortgage outlasted the marriage by far.

If original Tiia is my vintage and made her escape in the 1995 or so, things have changed; but not as drastically as they did 1990-1995.

[raamv]

First of all, Hank W. is a @#$% idiot. He knows not what he speaks and seemingly spends his days creating this horrible, false image of Finland.

That being said, the fact that your husband does not speak Finnish is not a problem. Although it will signifigantly narrow his options for work, there are many people in this country (including myself) that have found work rather quickly, despite the fact that we do not speak fluent Finnish.

I am American and have gone back and forth between Finland and the US a couple of times over the last three years and I truly love it here.

Try searching on http://www.monster.fi and http://www.aarresaari.net/jobboard.htm for possible work, as well as the aforementioned http://www.mol.fi (though I think that for English speakers, mol.fi does not have much to offer...)

OKie...First of all Chacona has been here for 3 years and have been "extremely lucky" finding work and then calling a Native who gives the Realistic picture ( yeah with some sarcasm that will diminish the swipes that you will face in a work environment without Finnish skills ...) is definitely being stupid on the idiotic side..
That really shows how him being American has helped him go back n forth without ever revealing whether he is working here or there...
The job market is definitely weak here and getting weaker with more layoffs happening in the hi tech Industry..
So More Finns with High technical skills versus your Hubby with no Finnish skills will definitely weigh upon..
As for the culture...
Unless your hubby is unlike Chacona...who shows off his expertise and prowess and is outspoken in nature...
It will be very difficult to first of all understand why Finns are quiet, dont ask any questions, are very modest, very reserved, and unsocial etc etc..
Then comes the next of socializing at workplace: Finns have a very structured way : Coffee discussion in the morning at around 10am and noon at 2pm , and that too in Finnish..is the only way to break the ice ( discussion tends to go to english to be polite to non-Finnish speaking people but invariably gets back to the comfort zone of Finnish conversations..)
If your Hubby is into sports, chances of finding Finnish "Friends" err "acquaintances" are better than normal..
No matter how well you know people, The true feelings/opinion of a Finn are unknown to anyone for very many years...
Networking in Finland starts in school and then college and decreases at work..by then a Finn has enough of a network...unlike in the US.
A good way of networking is if you get invited to a Shamina...but then that is rare if no Finnish lingua skills..
There are Some Americans here that go without Finnish lingua..but then that is pretty rare...
The biggest cultural surprise for an American is in the affordability of things and price b*ching..
So If I were you, I would ignore Chacona's "Paradise" advise and come to reality and plan well before embarking to come here...
Of course, you can never lose with trying..but better be prepared for a lot of rejections before success unlike in the US...

[stewy]

you can even find peanut butter.

where?!

[Hank W.]

In every bloody store. Even my local KK-market has smooth, plain, natural, with chocklate, nutella... And the romanys are as multicultural it gets here. Though your Nowheremäki Siwa might be a challenge. Find a Lidl - they got pretty decent pb.

[stewy]

In every bloody store. Even my local KK-market has smooth, plain, natural, with chocklate, nutella... And the romanys are as multicultural it gets here. Though your Nowheremäki Siwa might be a challenge. Find a Lidl - they got pretty decent pb.

there's a lidl just down the road, but they don't have any, nor does s-market or k-market... maybe it's just here.

[sinikala]

you can even find peanut butter.

where?!

In Helsinki you can find it in loads of places... Stockmann & Vexi stock UK sourced stuff, Behnfords has the US brands.

Outside of Hki Lidl is rumoured to have it.

We buy ours from the local S-Market, it's a Finnish brand and totally passable

[karel]

No surrogates...

This is the REAL deal:




No one makes it better than that.

[stewy]

hmm maybe i need to look harder

[EP]

We buy ours from the local S-Market, it's a Finnish brand and totally passable

That is the one I threw into the bin yesterday. Used once for some recipe, and after 5+ years in the fridge still as "edible" as it was 2001.

[enk]

I buy the Lidl stuff but only 'cause my kids go through so many jars
of it in a month.

-enk