How did you discover Finland Forum??

[meeshka]

Was looking for any informations about Finland that can be find on the internet. And since uranus forum is full of hostility towards Finns and Finlad I was hoping to find more friendly environment:) So I'm back...

[mCowboy]

Was looking for any informations about Finland that can be find on the internet. And since uranus forum is full of hostility towards Finns and Finlad I was hoping to find more friendly environment:) So I'm back...

well, brace yourself...

[meeshka]

Well after uranus and couple of people there nothing surprises me anymore. And I'm not talking about finnish hatered toword foreigners but the other way around. Foreigners living in Finland and hated it. I just don't get that and I'm not buying it, except if someone is holding them locked in some basement and they can't get out. So to you to

[ZodiaC]

Well, I got this from a Fren Of Mine.
I found it quite good and informative since I hab applied to Study in Finland.
"m new here & hope all the old members here will co-operate with me and gib me a right and fruitful suggestion and Help.
Thank You.
ZodiaC

[kharn]

Hey.

Was searching for sites on Finland and found Phil's website. Spoke to him and he suggested I come here to find out about Finland. This forum has definitely been a great help.

[daftdog]

I came across this site about 5 or 6 months ago, through a google search i think.

Only just joined a few days ago so that i could join in some of the discussions or ask questions of users.

Still haven't had time to have a good look around, but i'm sure i will find topics of interest and topics i think are either insane or plain silly (just like any user and forum).

[Hank W.]

Was looking for any informations about Finland that can be find on the internet. And since uranus forum is full of hostility towards Finns and Finlad I was hoping to find more friendly environment:) So I'm back...

And I thought I was imagining things

(I join the IKL every time I read that site )

[Rob A.]

Was looking for any informations about Finland that can be find on the internet. And since uranus forum is full of hostility towards Finns and Finlad I was hoping to find more friendly environment:) So I'm back...

And I thought I was imagining things

(I join the IKL every time I read that site )

Well...I was actually a bit surprised myself last year when I joined this forum.... about some, actually a lot, of the foreigner's attitudes....

But in the end I decided their mothers had probably told them they were the centre of the universe, and the Finns are telling them they aren't...or maybe just ignoring them altogether...

[norwich]

Well...I was actually a bit surprised myself last year when I joined this forum.... about some, actually a lot, of the foreigner's attitudes....

But in the end I decided their mothers had probably told them they were the centre of the universe, and the Finns are telling them they aren't...or maybe just ignoring them altogether...

Many Finns believe Finland is the center of the universe. It is actually surprising considering how educated the people are, but maybe it stems from the old, deep rooted insecurity of the Finns.
Rob A, when are you finally going to visit Finland so that you can speak from first hand experience?

[Hank W.]

Everyones own home country is naturally the "center of the universe"... ever seen old maps or what China was called?
You just must realize when abroad, your own country no longer is the standard pole, the locals have their own. Hence, we are the centre, superior, universally obnoxious... I'm going to go visit my sister in France in a fortnight, and there its going to be the Paris Meridian I'll be looking as the "way of proper things to be"... whereas here claiming "Paris Meridian" is just being an obnoxious frog.

[norwich]

Everyones own home country is naturally the "center of the universe"...

True, the center of the universe to them, not to the rest of the world. Two different things.

[Hank W.]

Yes, but when you are in their country you are not in the rest of the world. The rest of the world is "outside". It is always the locals who are the ones to make the standards, not the "outside world".

[Rob A.]

Well...I was actually a bit surprised myself last year when I joined this forum.... about some, actually a lot, of the foreigner's attitudes....

But in the end I decided their mothers had probably told them they were the centre of the universe, and the Finns are telling them they aren't...or maybe just ignoring them altogether...

Many Finns believe Finland is the center of the universe. It is actually surprising considering how educated the people are, but maybe it stems from the old, deep rooted insecurity of the Finns.
Rob A, when are you finally going to visit Finland so that you can speak from first hand experience?

Yes...

I will suddenly show up in Suomi one day...maybe in another year or so... Speaking painful Finnish, torturing the local's ears, and stubbornly...and I can be stubborn... ...stubbornly, refusing to speak any englantia...

Now my Finnish is coming along quite nicely for being so far away....

Here are a couple of Finnish jokes I picked up recently...may be "old hat" to you...or anyone else...so let those of us who have just encountered them, enjoy them...

"Black and Decker"....kaksi kättä ja yhdeksän sormea ....and I'm using it as a little mnemonic to remember partitive endings ...

Miksi miehillä on kaksi kättä?? ....Now I think I better leave this one for your imagination..... I use this one to remind myself why the verb, "to have" is a totally useless convention in the Indo-European languages...


But I digress...

After I've visited Suomi, I'm sure the rejoinder will be ..."But you actually have to LIVE in Finland to really understand..."....

...and don't forget I am "half an Englishman"...just like the Kaiser... ...though I'm sure my "Englishness" is suspect to a lot of you Brits.... And I was brought up to believe that Britain was actually the real centre of the universe...but I understand "intelligent" Brits (No, I don't think that's an oxymoron... )....anyway that intelligent Brits now realize they were wrong and it's actually been ...all along, ... as Hank suggests....La Ville-lumière.... Yes, that's right...Paris..... (Now don't anyone get all "shirty"...I'm just having a bit of fun... )

[norwich]

Of course it is the locals who determine the standards for their own country, that's not what I'm saying. What I am saying is that Finland has a relatively low profile on the world stage, and that comes as a news to many Finns. Not to all Finns by any means, but, as I said before, to surprisingly many Finns.
Btw, I am not a complete foreigner to Finland. I was born to Finnish expats, have spent a lot of time in Finland including living there, and I am fluent in Finnish (so careful with those Finnish proverbs )
Enjoy your vacation in France. While drinking your guilt free wine at lunch time, try finding anything on Finland in the local newspaper. I know you won't be surprised, but some other Finns would be.

[norwich]

After I've visited Suomi, I'm sure the rejoinder will be ..."But you actually have to LIVE in Finland to really understand..."....

You got it
I think your Finnish will be obnoxiously good by next year. Just be careful not to associate with too many hot blondes... Hank's gonna be mad... Come to think of it, Hank is blonde, not hot but blonde nonetheless, so maybe you can hang around with him