My survey on doors is complete

My survey on doors is complete. Every American I asked confessed to having trouble with Finnish doors, but no one admits it willingly because they feel that this issue is unique to them. My comprehensive research has proven that the capability to easily open a door can often be culture-specific. In brief, Americans struggle in Finland with ingress and egress. Those terms make our inability to go through Finnish doors sound a bit more worthy of understanding rather than deserving ridicule.

So, in conclusion: On some doors you push. On some doors you pull. And then on some doors....

I encounter doors that open automatically for me when I approach. And they look exactly like the doors that do not open by themselves but rather force me to think (Have I been through this door before and perhaps can remember? Are the hinges visible to supply a hint? Is there a button I push to engage the door? Do I really need to go through this door?). And then there are the doors in public places you are sure will open by themselves when you approach, but…which…don’t (doors for department stores, train stations, etc.). Then you try to pretend that you really stopped before that door for a reason other than the royal expectation that doors open upon your approach. But wait...I also encounter doors that appear to be normal because handles are present -- but you need to press a tiny button cleverly concealed on the door frame. And then the door may just open for you! No need to touch that useless handle.

My most embarrassing door moment thus far this time in Finland: I came to a door to enter a quiet work room. I tried to pull the door handle. The door would just jiggle a bit. I tried then to push the door. More jiggling. All I ended up doing was rattling the door enough to alert the people in the quiet work room that there was someone at the door who could not figure out how to get in (because the room was all glass enclosed, there was no anonymity afforded me, and the Finns inside were certainly thinking what they would never actually say out loud). Of course, a moment later, a nice Finn on the outside with me came over and slid the door open for me without a word before walking away. Because there was really nothing to say at that point, and I hope that is all I have to say on the topic of doors for awhile….

Kekkonen, Kekkonen, Kekkonen...

Sometimes you just “get it.”

Because this is my third time in Finland (2011: 10 days, 2013: Aug-Dec, 2020: Jan-Jun) I realize almost every day that I am understanding some things without first being confused or having to think. Of course I have studied the language, read about the culture, examined the history books, and such. So I have prepared myself, and it eventually pays off. It is quite a pleasure to come across a situation where you just “get it.” Such events make you feel less like an outsider and more worthy to be here.

I often go by the former house of Finnish presidents, especially that of Urho Kaleva Kekkonen (1900–1986) who served almost 26 years as president and lived in that house from 1956 until his death. The house is now a museum (which I have visited), and on the fence outside is spelled out:

Kekkonen, Kekkonen, Kekkonen… 

-- which makes me subtly smile each time I pass. And that smile is because I “get it.” It is not that the museum needs to advertise itself by repeating his name several times. Instead, it is a popular culture reference that Finns share, unknown to others unless they are fortunate enough to “get it,” too.

Sorry, I am not going to explain it. It is worthwhile to earn such small insights, and I don’t with to ruin anyone’s chances to do so.

McVegan and Me

I just had to do it. I had to go to a McDonald’s to try a McVegan. But I had an excuse, or two. First, I have always been curious about this product since it debuted in Finland (in Tampere) in 2017 and has not yet made it to the U.S. The McVegan thus has an appeal to me because of its connection to Finland. And second, since I was on a quick trip to Rovaniemi, which is 438.02 miles north of Helsinki, and just a few miles south of the Arctic Circle, I had the “why-the-heck-not?” reason. After all, until 2013, the Rovaniemi McDonald’s was the northernmost McDonald’s in the world – until Murmansk in nearby Russia took that title. Murmansk is not on my to-do list, so I took advantage of Rovaniemi. 

I will apologize now for having gone to McDonald’s because, this time around, I have doubled-down on eating more traditional Finnish, and I have done well here even though I am vegetarian. But this is an aberration and will not be a habit. And now, back in Helsinki, I no longer have an easy excuse -- unless I get a desire to try that intriguing Piquant Veggie sandwich I saw advertised.

By the way, the McVegan was not bad, not bad at all.

• McVegan 
• Piquant Veggie

Another time around in Finland

I waited for over a month, but I will not wait any longer.

I last blogged on my August-December 2013 experiences in Finland on January 25, 2014. I did not expect to be back here as I am (from January to June 2020), in the same role as a Fulbright scholar teaching for Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. And I never expected to continue this blog.

My original blog was all about the cultural lessons I learned, mixed with the observations I made. What else would I have to add now, after all these years and all my experiences since? After a month into my second stay, I need to renew this blog because I feel much more capable this time around – but I also can feel just as perplexed, just as confused, and ever so slightly embarrassed in many situations. Yet, I am also starting to understand more and to “get” more things (language, body language, customs, etc.). I am sort of in between.

However, I never expected to continue this blog by first…talking about doors. 

Finnish doors are again my nemeses: See September 21, 2013: "You have a 50/50 chance to succeed"

https://hellinghelsingissa.blogspot.com/2013/09/you-have-5050-chance-to-succeed.html

I still fail to open them correctly about 25% of the time (improved from my 50% average in 2013). Do I push? Do I pull? Do I turn that lock-like thing and push or pull? Does the door open automatically when I approach? Do I hit a button or bar on the wall? I have to ask myself all these questions almost every day unless I am fortunate to be in a tourist spot where doors are labeled  with clear instructions in Finnish-Swedish-English. Otherwise, I am again resorting to observation of others who precede me or memorization if I have come this way before.

Note: It is not just me. I know that for sure now. This month I have purposely observed other foreigners navigating unlabeled doors. They fail, too, and are just as frustrated! I have even observed a few Finns struggle with doors. I feel a bit better. It is the construction, in my opinion. Some doors do not have visible indications on the way they move. That must be it! How can someone of my age still fail so often at this basic task?

Well, I am back, and this time I am going to master doors of all shapes, sizes, and weights (yes, some Finnish doors are not made for the weak). In the next few weeks I will actively research this door phenomenon and report back later. In the meanwhile, my efforts to understand all around me will continue....

Moi moi Finland

I have dreaded coming to this last post because it means that I have been away from Helsinki for several weeks -- and the Finnish life is fading away from me.

Now that I am back in the US, I am almost fully re-acclimatized to a different lifestyle:

• I drive around a lot.
• I make sudden and unpredictable moves when I walk (guaranteed to frighten or injure Helsinki bike riders).
• I enter shops at all sorts of hours and expect them to be open. And they are.
• I begin random conversations with people I don't know.
• I cross streets where and when I want.
• I expect strange dogs to bark at me. And they do.

Maybe I should no longer comment on Finland and Finns until I get there again. I hope to. In the meanwhile, I study my Finnish nightly, but the materials are usually uninspiring. So I prove very often that is is possible to forget the Finnish word for almost anything just a few minutes after you think you finally have it down. I will persevere, however, so that the next time I speak Finnish to Finns they will not grow silent and replay my words in their minds until they come across the variation that makes sense to them.

The last of 3,262 photos I took In Finland

Nähdään!

Ten things I like about living in Helsinki

If I don't limit myself to 10 things I like about living in Helsinki, I could end up writing a long time. And I will miss Helsinki even more…. 

Paths. Walking paths and riding paths, often shared, crisscross Helsinki wherever there is an excuse to have a little green space. And green space abounds beyond the city center. Walking and bicycle riding is not just a pastime here, however; it is a common means of simply just getting somewhere. Everyone uses the responsibly. 

Trams. Buses are great, and there are a lot more bus lines to choose from to go to more places, but for getting around in the main part of the city, the tram is the way to go. Besides being able to get off in some of the choice spots in Helsinki where buses don't penetrate, the tram appeals to anyone who ever pushed around a toy train on tracks as a kid. The trams may not appear like they did in the 19^th-century, but they still provide the thrill of a time-gone-by experience (although the looks on the faces of many of the seasoned tram riders may suggest that the thrill wears off after a few years).

Pastries. I know I mentioned pastries on the list of things I don't like about Helsinki, but it was not because of their taste, their size, or their tempting nature. Or maybe it was. Well, I am going to have it both ways on this one.

Manners. Finns are never as verbally expressive or as expansive as Americans for whom everyone including strangers is often considered a conversational partner. But good manners are always present, and the most commonly heard word in public is "kiitos" or one of its many derivatives. Often expressed several times in a simple transaction. Just because.

Herring. Having lived all my life in landlocked states far from any ocean, there are many seafoody things I was not accustomed to eating. Herring was at the top of that list. In fact, most seafood can appear odd and smelly in its natural state (i.e., fresh) to a landlubber. I am not saying that some seafood no longer gives me pause, but I have finally realized why herring is so popular whether pickled in a jar, fried up and served like French fries, marinated in mustard, etc.

Finnish. The language. It is as difficult as everyone says, and I am still a beginner, but I was surrounded by it for five months and have learned to love it. It is visually intimidating with lengthy words, doubled consonants and vowels, and the various ä and ö appearances that at first seem random (but which are not). A great language for those who appreciate challenges. I have also read several articles that call oral Finnish "monotonous" because of its rhythm (the accent is always on the first syllable), but I don't think the authors of these articles ever listened at length to well-spoken Finnish.  I really miss hearing it spoken in public around me. 

Dogs. Dogs are beloved in Helsinki and are welcome in places where they never get a chance to venture in the US. These dogs ride the trams, walk around stores, and go anywhere else that people go. Dog parks (separated into small and large parks) are very common -- just follow one of those many paths and you will encounter a dog park where unleashed dogs socialize. And dogs being led around on a leash by their Finnish masters exhibit the same qualities as these masters: they are calm, they respect your privacy, they don't bark at you, they don't strain at their leash to get to you (I am talking about the dogs, by the way). 

Paving stones. Irregular paving is not well-liked by pedestrians who need to walk around in all weather to get places: it slows you down, hurts your feet, and can be a bit dangerous at times. It would be so easy for city authorities to lay down an easy-to-maintain layer of asphalt and forget about it. But Helsinki holds onto such things, and a city that is not very flashy in many ways is endearing in its connections to old but still useful ways of doing things (think of trams). Wear comfortable shoes, and expect to be unexpectedly rattled when your bus crosses certain areas of Helsinki.

Crosswalks. You can usually distinguish the non-Finns from the Finns at a crosswalk. For Finns, a crosswalk signal is not considered a "suggestion" as it is in many places around the world. It is not ignored. A crosswalk signal is to be obeyed, and the more people who obey it, the safer the experience is. The tourists can't seem to understand why no one is crossing when the way is clear, and they can't seem to understand why streets are crossed only at the designated areas. I have occasionally seen Finns cross streets on their own accord -- but they are the exception, and I assume it is an evil foreign influence that has changed their behavior. 

Libraries. Finns love to read, and public services such as libraries make sure that they can. Helsinki public libraries are engaging and efficient; they reach out and they engage their users. Services are offered, and the public is accommodated. Progressive and forward thinking. Yes, I am also a librarian, but that is why I can really appreciate libraries in places I visit.

Ten things I do not like about living in Helsinki

After five months I feel I can make a fair judgment on what I like and what I don't like in Helsinki. I want to start with what I do not like, just to get it over with -- because there is so much more that I like. However, I will limit myself to 10 items for both categories. Sigh. I need to make this list of 10 things I don't like as quickly as possible: for every day that I am now away from Helsinki, I miss it even more.

So here is what I don't like about living in Helsinki:

Cigarette butts. A lot of people in Helsinki smoke. They smoke outside, of course, but they still smoke, either standing around or strolling along. The smell of cigarette smoke is a common scent that you finally get used to. What is hard to get used to is the evidence of so much smoking. Popular venues in Helsinki where people naturally congregate (bus stops, tram stops, etc.) can often be outdoor ashtrays.

Rye bread. It is a tradition, it is respected, it is commonly consumed. As an American, I have had less contact with rye bread, and less time to build up a taste for this Finnish staple unless it is masked by a slathering of some condiment or sauerkraut. 

Group seating on trams. The newer tram models have groupings of seats that face each other, two on a side, separated by a small table. Four people sitting in these seats can barely keep their knees from touching those opposite them. Awkward when a stranger sits opposite. More awkward when this enforced socialization continues for several tram stops and, as an American, you have to resist the urge to start a random conversation (which is not the Finnish thing to do).

Gray skies. So we don't have gray skies in the US? Of course we do. But in a strange city where gray skies are common in winter during your few hours of daylight, you really start to miss hints of blue.

Graffiti. Helsinki is a big city with lots of concrete. How can I blame it for accumulating that scourge of any big city? I still don't like it, however. 

Street signs. A good map and a GPS are wonderful accessories when getting around Helsinki. Street signs are not found on poles at street corners or any place else that would easily be visible. Instead, street signs are found on the sides of the corner buildings. So you have to go a bit farther at timers to know what street you are on. And you have to have good eyesight, because space is not wasted on large street signs.

New York Yankees. If any Helsinkian is going to be wearing a baseball cap (my favorite type of hat), it is invariably a cap with a New York Yankees logo. I am from Kansas City, and I have not gotten over 1978 yet (and a few other years). You can't get away from the Yankees even in Helsinki.

 Pastries. Actually I love pastries. What I don't like about Helsinki pastries is that they are too big, too good, and too tempting. Living in a foreign city makes it seem like you can eat what you want whenever you want. Well, you can't.And it eventually starts to show.

  

English. Most English-speaking visitors love that everyone speaks English and that English is commonly seen on advertisements and posters. I would not have survived if not for the English skills of the Finns I encountered in everyday situations (at the store, at the bank, etc.). But it made it too easy to avoid speaking Finnish. And seeing English plastered all over town kept reminding me that we visitors were not considered capable of learning Finnish as readily as we wanted. 

People respect your privacy. People don't bother you by telling you what you are supposed to know. Isn't respect of your privacy a good thing? It usually is -- but sometimes in Helsinki I would have really benefited if someone would have respected my privacy less and just told me what I needed to know. Really, I would not have minded if someone told me about where I was supposed to be and what I was supposed to do!