Here are some hints how to go on about when meeting Finns:

Some Generalities to keep in mind when in Finland.

When are the Finnish Hollidays and what is good to know about them.

Things that might be good to know about Finnish cuisine and some food.

What is good for the Finnish soul, Sauna.

Some useful Links

You are welcome to read my Blog abut things happening right now in Finland. About all the funny, peculiar and strange things and customs I come across living here in this country and maybe even a philosophical moment of enlightenment I experience now and then.

 

What Finland is famous for:

“Land of thousand lakes” The slogan to get more tourists and visitors to Finland. Btu there really are quite a lot of lakes in Finland. Maybe more than just a thousand.

Sauna, in all its’ different varieties

“Sisu”, inner strength to go on.

Koskenkorva vodka

Kalevala, the Finnish epic. An original story of the creation of the world, without any of its’ like.

Midnight sun in the arctic circle, (and midwinter darkness as the backside of it.) The sun never setting for months in the summer.

Aurora borealis, the magnetic storms reflecting in the earth’s athmosphere.

Linux, freeware driving routine for PCs

 

Music:

Nightwish, rockband

Lordi, hard rockband, winners of the European song contest 2006.

Jean Sibelius, classical composer

Karita Mattila, operasinger

Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor

Hanoi Rocks, rockband

Hurriganes, rockband

Rasmus, rockband

 

Finnish world famous companies:

Nokia, mobilephones, cartyres, Wellington-boots (it is originally the name of the city where it all began)

Kone, elevators

Fazer Group, sweets and bakery produce

M-Real, forest-, paper- and pulp industry

Stora-Enso, forest-, paper- and pulp industry

UPM Kymmene, forest-, paper- and pulp industry

Marimekko, textiles and clothes

Iittala, glassware

 

Famous Finns:

Alvar Aalto, designer and architect

Aki Kaurismäki, film-director

Mika Waltari, writer

Renny Harlin, film-director

Kimi Räikkönen, rally driver

Mika Häkkinen, rally driver

Janne Ahonen, ski jumper

Tommi Mäkinen, rally driver

Matti Nykänen, skijumper

Jari Kurri, ice-hockey player

Teemu Selänne, ice-hockey player

Saku Koivu, ice-hockey player

Juha Mieto, cross country skier

Moomintrolls,

 

Peculiar World Championships:

Swamp-football

Wife-carrying

Sauna-bathing

Mobile-phone throwing

Sitting in an ants’ nest