Finns eagerly go abroad for vacation and much of our disposable income is spent on tourism. Although we often encounter other cultures, we are often described as introvert. When we attend a discussion, we rather talk about the substance than about our opinions or how we feel about something, and we rather keep our discussions short than long. The fact is that we have a low immigration and those who move to Finland to stay, often feel un-welcomed. Politicians say that we should have quality immigration instead of people moving in order to exploit the system. Does that make us inward oriented?
When you start a conversation with a Finn you notice that the air-opening small talk is left out and you immediately talk the matter. This is sometimes viewed as intruding and sometimes it is regarded as efficient conversation. Finns are also known for their long vacations and plenty of sparetime, but work hours are efficiently used. Finns are still patient and tolerate quite much bad treatment abroad, but when the line is crossed from the Finnish point of view, then all resources are stubbornly used in order to get compensation for the treatment. Stubborness has nevertheless been a successful quality for instance during wartime.
As with many countries, there are big differences in Finland as well between rural and urban people, between generations and between educational backgrounds. In Finland there is also another dimension: we have Finnish-speaking Finns and Swedish-speaking Finns. (On top of this we also have the Sami people in Lapland). The Swedish-speaking Finns are concentrated to the coastline and the Ahvenanmaa/ Åland Islands, and most Finnish-speakers are in minority in those areas. Elsewhere there are hardly any Swedish-speakers at all. Usually Swedish-speakers are regarded as financially better off than Finnish-speakers, but this is a difficult generalization.
It is easy to flatter a Finn. We are extremely proud of our economic achievements, our two icehockey world championships, our Eurovision Song Contest victory from 2006 and our Nokia mobile phones. We enjoy ourselves best in solitude in our small forest cabins, where we can have a sauna and sweat out the dirt of the world from our bodies. An invitation to spend some time together in a cabin like that is the best favour a foreigner can get from their Finnish friend.
Europe, Finland, travel, travel experiences
