1. Does the snow ever melt?!
Well, the number one thing people wonder about is if it's ever warm in Finland. I usually tell them no, if we're lucky the snow will melt for July. I guess this is what we get for being known for snow and cold winters.
But on a serious note, yes, the snow does melt. Usually. The summers, especially in Helsinki, are pretty great and it can get really hot, around 30 degrees if you're lucky.
It's funny how people expect that coming from such a cold country I won't mind the cold in Germany. Quite the opposite though; although it can get much, much colder in Finland, we have excellent insulation when it comes to housing and it's actually warm inside. Kind of necessary for survival when the temperatures can dip to -30 (or more in the north)... Here though, with so many old and sometimes not so recently renovated houses, the heating and insulation is not always on point. Case in point, the window in my room only has a single glass, so when it's cold outside, it's cold inside. Also, as I mentioned in January when I got here, the cold is different as it's more humid here, it just goes all the way to your bones...
2. Finnish people are quiet
The thing you should know about us Finns, we might be considered quiet, sometimes even socially awkward but this has all to do with our culture. We simply don't have the concept of small talk. Like, we don't talk pleasantries. We just don't. This cartoon pretty much sums up our ability of small talk. So if we have nothing 'real' to say, we don't say anything at all. So, if you ever manage to get a Finn to talk, you better be ready for a real conversation!
This one is partly true, I mean our culture is what it is but with more international influences and opportunities the younger generation is already shaking off this stereotype pretty well.
3. Finnish (and other Scandinavians) are good in English
This stereotype might actually be true, Finnish people do seem to talk pretty good English. Although they will deny it when confronted due to their (too) humble personality. One big reason for this is probably that we don't dub anything on TV, we watch everything in the original language which usually is English.
4. Finnish people are into home decór
Yes. Big time. And now I'm talking also for myself. This probably goes for all Scandinavians as we are pretty famous for our minimalist home decór and do have some pretty great brands, including some of my favorites, the Finnish Balmuir and the Danish bynord. Also, I used to work in home decór purchasing for a big retailer, which kind of fed my love for design.
5. Polar bears as pets
When I met my German friend (who might have helped lure me to this amazing city I now call home) she asked me whether I had a polar bear as a pet. Since, you know, the north, snow, polar bears. All these things go together, right? She's still joking about this on a weekly, sometimes daily basis. I still don't know whether she was kidding the first time and at this point I'm not sure I want to know the truth... But to clear this up, no, no polar bears in Finland. Although they would make cute pets. A little hard to maintain though but cute nonetheless.
To fundamentally understand the exotic nature of us Finns, be sure to check out Finnish Nightmares! I guarantee that every single one of these is true!
So that's it for today, I will be back with more if (when) I encounter more beliefs of Finns!
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