Reverse culture shock

Konna's tea shipment

Something I noticed while back in UK was that I have now been away long enough to notice and be surprised by things which were part of my everyday life not so long ago. Some examples:

• First, an obvious one - how busy, diverse, big and loud London is compared to Helsinki (remember the population of London is bigger than the population of Finland). Especially on the Underground.
• Cold and damp - walking to a gig in Portsmouth I was shivering, even though it was +3°C and I was well dressed. The cold, damp air was penetrating; give me -7°C here in desiccated Helsinki any day.

Is it winter, spring or summer?

White on white: From In search of Spring...

I'm clearly a bit late with this post as the warm temperatures and rain of the last few days have (ehkä) decisively cleared a lot of the snow now and we have changed over to 'Summer' time (daylight saving time) already. We are starting to get summer speed limits back on the roads, optimists are changing to their summer tyres and bigger optimists are planning their Vappu picnic for a months time.

But last week, on the spring equinox, following another 5cm fall of snow, a kaunis sininen taivas tempted me out for a walk with my camera around what still seemed to me a wintery Mustavuori, busy with skiers and sledders. While its undeniably lighter (hurray!), and the twittering of a few birds can be heard (and the bright yellow ones spotted), only a few buds on trees suggest much life coming back to the forest. Growing grass (rairuoho) in a tray for the easter table starts not to seem quite so strange...

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Talking of strange things at easter I'm pretty much forced to mention mämmi at this point. I've been saying for the past few years that the visually unappealing brown sludge of orange peel flavoured malted-rye was up there with salmiakki and villi in my mental least-favourite flavours of Finland list. So I was surprised to find that on being served it at a friends house yesterday I not only ate it, I quite liked it. Maybe I've been here too long...

Ruma Suomi?

From Asuntomessut 09 + Taiskan mökki 08&09: best of Asuntomessut

There has been a series on TV recently called 'Ruma Suomi' (Ugly Finland) which is described as a tragicomic investigation of how Finland (and specifically urban and sub-urban Finland) has replaced 'beautiful old timber buildings' with 'ugly concrete' in the post wars period. Architects and town-planners will be torn between running for cover and rolling their eyes and sighing at this point. To be fair the program, produced by YLE1, seemed quite balanced in also presenting the political, economic and social historical background to this - not just a reactionary attack on the designers. In particular the program questioned the still frequent urge just to rip everything down a build new - is Finland still a developing nation in that sense? Despite the fact that Finland has produced some fantastic Modern and contemporary architecture (and still does) we have to agree there is more than a grain of truth in what they are saying.

This weekend we visited this year's 'asuntomessut', (housing fair) which was held in Valkeakoski, on the event's last open weekend in fantastic weather. It was reported that the messut hit the visitor target of 5000 people & was a success...

It made me wonder what kind of success was it and for whom. I found only a few successful sides to the messut including the fiddler on the roof of Talo Valo (no.34), 2 interesting developments: passive house Paroc Lupaus (no.21) & ENSI-omakotitalo (no.17), good company of friends & free press parking near the main entrance & kyyttö cows (definitely the high point of the 4 hour stay at the messu area for me!)

The first so called disappointments were the houses located on the first loop to the right of the main entrance ('so called' as we knew that these asuntomessut were not going to be as good as Vaasa last year & that neither offered the same kind of interesting solutions as Espoo in Kauklahti asuntomessut a few years ago, both of which we visited... Saying that I should probably mention that the city had tremendous difficulties getting all the houses/flats sold in Kauklahti...)

Anyway the Valkeakoski houses no.1-10 were standard package houses (why would I go to see these to asuntomessut, when there are brochures after brochures of these solutions out there? + Finland full of these boring wannabe boxes... being too harsh on standards of our newly builds?) - one of the houses even bosted on the accessible design solutions, which culminated in high thresholds (for the main door & all doors inside), inaccessible sauna where you have more than a high chance of falling onto the 'kiuas' (=stove where you throw water...) and stairs leading to the main entrance (note secondary entrance included a steep ramp ending with a ad-hock timber 'creation' ramp between the terrace & door - still with a high enough threshold for a person with a wheelchair to have a difficulty getting in).

After these shockers we entered no.11 with a hopeful thought that we can't judge this one as it is not actually yet finished. The promised sea side features & feeling most likely had not been realised yet - perhaps the engineer designer should leave it to this. We entered the house, passing two massive garages, via 'takkahuone' (=the chilling room for sauna, where you usually have a fire place etc) without 'takka' (=fire place) which was not yet been built, we climbed to the main living floor via spiral staircase... The challenge for this house had apparently been the sloping site to the north and perhaps the fact that the house of 192m2 was designed for a SINGLE MALE (with a note: this house suits also a bigger family... uh?)

- What does the nation learn from this?

1. Perhaps we should use an architect on the challenging sites next time? Hmmm...

2. Don't date the owner of the house

Huh - the first loop ended in a cafe. Pulla & coffee had never tasted this good. Next stop was the 'celebrity house' (no.14) designed for a famous bike rider Mika Kallio & his family (incl. a bike & trophy room). The house was hideous from outside, but never the less we approached the destination happily discussing the food products from our coffee break. The massive sauna for the whole family (perhaps for the moms, dads, cousins, kids, dogs, cats, turtles, nieces, cousins friends, stray cats, neighbours, asuntomessu-visitors, etc) was pleasant, I guess the three jacuzzi/whirl pools were ok too (definitely not too many), the huge manor-like middle stair case was ok (brought to my mind tv-program Dynasty - aaaah that charmer Blake Carrington)... Was I in a bad dream with Joan Collins? I must have been as the messu-magazine said that this was a dream of most men!!! Emmdee - please comment!

Luckily the next houses were pleasant. Pretty standard, but pleasant (after the Blake Carrigton manor anything goes). No.17 had a surprising (in a good way) exterior - a by passer commented as follow: 'helvetti, että osaa olla muuten ruma talo' (= h*** that it can be an ugly house). I had read earlier that an architect's (sorry can't remember whose) comment was as follows: 'tuo pystylaudoitus on tavanomaista' (= that vertical timber bording is fairly common)... I would like to remind of the Blake Carrington in this case...

Yes - swiftly moving on to no.21 by architect Kimmo Lylykangas. This passive house was the jewel of the site. The design concept was based on the wedge shape site and the client's wish for the living areas opening towards north & the scenery over the flower fields (& towards the cows). The shape of the building gives a strong character for the upstairs bedrooms with lovely rounded roof & walls. A magnificent bonus was the internal exposed brick spine wall extending as the fist floor walkway balcony balustrade. The house fulfills VTT requirement for a passive house - the simulated heating requirement is only 23,8 kWh/m2/a (the concept of VTT passive house is tested via 3 concept houses, one being this Lupaus in Valkeakoski, second in Vantaa & third in Rovaniemi).

Fiddler on the roof

Last, but not least we spotted the violin player on the roof of no.34... Not to sound too positive about this year's housing fair (is it possible?), I still need to comment on tv-house no.35. What on earth has happened here? Outside the house strikes like a standard brick faced day care centre - slightly upscale from a standard single family house, but this almost 300m2 - also a passive house - is monstrous in it's use of internal space. Apparently client's clear vision for the way they wish to live, tv-audiences influence for the development of the house & external swimming pool (remember we are still in Finland where a good summer is 'vähäluminen' (=with little snow only)) make us vacate the housing fair as soon as we were able to find our way out from the tv-house labyrinth...

The best house was yet to come - our friend's Taiska's lovely red timber cottage in Sysmä from the 1920's. Thank you for your family's hospitality. What a lovely day after all :)

What does the nation/designers/architects learn from this?

... probably nothing, but ought to respect old traditions and design/build beautiful - EVEN IF IT COSTS MORE & to keep it passive!

One year on

verilettuja ja puolukkan hiloa - blood pancakes and lingonberry jam

Today is a year to the day when we came to Finland (or rather was, as this is a retrospective post because of being off peddling in Åland and not having an internet connection in our tent).

I feel like this should be significant, but strangely can't find much to say about it even though a lot has happened in the last 12 months:

1. Quit job
2. Rented out London flat
3. Moved to Finland (obviously)
4. Didn't get a job (yet)
5. Visited a few places / buildings (by foot, cycle, boat, train, plane, canoe, kayak, ferry, sledge, (husky and reindeer), skis, snow shoes, schooner, 'meze', and ladder)
6. Took some photos; okay a lot of photos
7. Learnt some Finnish - Nyt minä ymmärrän (ekhä sanoisin vain kirjoitan ja luen) suomen kieli parempi kuin vimme vuonna, on totta, mutta ei puhu hyvin tai nopeasti vielä. Tiedän minun täytyy harjiottaa lisää puhuminen, kunneleminen, kirijoittaminen ja lukeminen suomeksi.
8. Sold London flat
9. Entered an architecture competition
10. Had a few saunas (electric, wood and smoke)
11. Eaten sausage, moose, blood pancakes, cloudberries, lingonberries, macaroni laatikko, rye bread, salmon...

It would be good if I could at least say that the 'culture shock' is over - but since I haven't worked here yet I think that is really still yet to come... ask me next year.

Kalevalan päivä

Defence of the Sampo, by Akseli Gallen-Kallela

Today (as has been pointed out) is Kalevala day - the day of Finnish Culture.  The 'New' Kalevala is 160 years old this year (the original version will be 175 next year), and this epic poem compiled by Elias Lönnrot of Finnish and Karelian folklore creates a mythic past inextricably linked with the rise of Finnish identity and culture; and for inspiration for Tolkien's lord of the Rings.

Although pretty archaic, impenetrable, and rarely read by the average modern Finn (check here for a sample), elements from it do crop up in modern day life. Sampo - the magic mill - becomes a bank; Otava -  the constellation Ursa Major - becomes a publishing company; while several of the character names are still in use today. Even closer to home, in today's Hesari was an article about the latest comic book version of the Kalevala - whose gods, heroes and spirits were recreated out of the last construction recession, when drawn by unemployed architect Gene Kurkijärvi, and finally published this year.

If only my cartoon drawing skills were as good.

I'd give my eye-teeth for that...

Hiiri has an inexplicably large collection of toothbrushes...

Hands up all those who like going to the dentist. No, I thought not.

As you may remember, I have just got my Kela (social security) card, which gives me access to, amongst other things, state health and dental care. Konna has just had to spend over €500 on visiting her private/specialist dentist (to be spread over 4 visits, but still) and decided I really have to go, so I thought I should save my pennies and use the state system hammaslääkäri (lit: tooth-doctor) - much to her dismay.

I know in the UK there has been a lot of talk about shortage of dental care in some areas, waiting times etc, but my last visit in Islington, I had a walk-in, same day examination and treatment, with more treatment the next week, so wasn't expecting to have to wait three months to be seen in Helsinki. Yes the end of May.

Okay now I have to own up that is not a fair comparison - as that London dental practice doesn't even take appointments for first exam/consultation, you have to walk-in and wait. And I had a broken tooth. And it was more than three years ago. 

Too be honest I'm not generally that keen on visiting the dentist, it's one of these things I deal with by not thinking about it - I can't even remember when I went to the dentist before then... shockingly it was probably when I was still a student living in Brighton (so that would be... erm, actually I'm too embarrassed to say exactly, so lets just say it was in the last millenium). Anyway my excuse (apart from being a lazy sod) is that I probably have a mild form of odontaphobia, brought on not by the tragic selection of magazines in the waiting room, but by the rather traumatic removal of several teeth of my favourite when I was about seven eight years old. 

[If you are squeamish you may want to look away now...]

When my milk-teeth got collected by the tooth fairy, as my new teeth grew in they found things a bit crowded in my mouth. So much so that my canines (or eye-teeth, they're the pointy ones) ended up growing over my incisors/first molars rather than between them. This meant they stuck out of my gums like vampire fangs (which for a six/seven eight year old wasn't all bad news, but maybe not the best look later in life).  So they had to go. I don't remember being to worried beforehand, afterall I was getting a day off school, but obviously I had no idea what was coming.  Now since this was a) the 70's b) fairly major, I had to have a general anesthetic - which is where things started to get iffy.  Firstly they tried to give an injection into a vein in my arm. After three or four failures finding the vein they switched to the other arm, and then despite try to turn me into a human pincushion they had to give up on the injection idea, and switch to Plan B.  This turned our to be gas; I remember they rolled in a trolley of equipment and canisters, then the black rubber mask was put over my face, and I was told to count to ten. 1, 2, 3, ... the room disappeared and I fell down a long dark tunnel... When I woke up, woozy and spitting blood (literally) the teeth were gone, leaving huge holes in my gums which my tongue would find unexpectedly for weeks afterwards. All pretty scarey stuff, especially as I had to come back again the next month to have the other two out... (Or did I? My memory is strangely a bit hazy about this - did they all get taken at once?).  

I needed a light brace to straighten up the front teeth a few years later to adjust for the spacing, but at least it probably helped make room for my wisdom teeth - which I have thankfully not had problems with.  But now, however much I really, really like something, I can't give my eye-teeth for it (as the saying goes).

And I don't seem to like going to the dentist... funny that. At least I have three months to prepare myself...

Uutta vuotta

From Lapland - Winter 08/09

Happy New Year!

Back from 'up north', and showing aiti & sisko around Helsinki & Porvoo.  Pictures and reports on the cold, dark, snowy adventures of emmdee and konna in Lapland to come soon...

24 - Joulupöydällä (On the Yule table)

From Finland winter 06/07

Today is Christmas Eve. Which in Finland, unlike Britain, is the main event - ruokaa, joulupukki, lahjoja (food, santa, presents) ...

In the morning, it is traditional to eat riisipuru which is salted with 'lucky' almonds for the unwary. Then (if you have one) perhaps a morning sauna to get relaxed (and clean) for the day's 'exertions'.  The visit to the cemetery to place candles on family graves is perhaps for me the strangest thing of the day, with no similar tradition at home; traffic jams forming at the main cemeteries, directed by police make the whole thing slightly surreal, although the sight of the snowy graveyard filled with candles in the early darkness is eerily pretty.

By tradition dinner can start when the first star is in the sky (not sure what you do if it's cloudy) and the birds have been fed. After dinner, joulupukki and his tonttu may visit to deliver the presents... although strangely ours are already under the tree. Hmm.

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So then to the groaning christmas pöytä, from which one can take food for the rest of the afternoon and evening. But how does it compare to (tomorrow's) traditional British christmas dinner?  Last year we even managed to have both (with my family in UK) so here are both for the curious of both nations...

Suomen joulunruokaa: From hölynpöly

Starters

Suomi: Lax (smoked salmon), Silli (Herrings in various sauces), Fish roe

UK: Scottish smoked salmon & champange

Suomi: Lutefish (pre-soaked in lye... probably an aquired taste)

UK: nothing comparable

Suomi: Joulukinkku - the huge christmas ham: cooked overnight, slavered in mustard and breadcrumbs

UK: Turkey - huge, golden, with fragrant stuffing (the older British tradition is actually Goose, but I've never eaten that)

Suomi: Laatikkot - different casserole 'boxes' of carrot, sweetened potato, turnip and liver

UK: Roast potatoes, parsnips & carrots

Suomi: Rosolli - beetroot and mixed vegetable salad, Lingonberry and cabbage salad, Mushroom salad

UK: Brussel sprouts

Suomi: Pate, meat aspic, smoked reindeer.

UK: Liver pate, pressed tongue, stilton

Suomi: Gingerbread cookies, Joulutorrtu.

UK: Mince pies, christmas pudding, trifle

And to drink: Glögi, wine, beer, milk, and coffee (of course - Finns start to get the shakes if they don't get coffee every few hours...)

UK: Wine, beer, fruit juice, mulled wine, coffee

Later: 

2 burana and a lie down...

2 neurofen, the Queens Speech and a lie down...

A British Christmas plate: From hölynpöly

Hyvää joulun ruokaa!

6 - Itsenäisyyspäivä

Suomen lippu ja kynttilät

Joulukuun 6. päivää on vietetty itsenäisyyspäivänä vuodesta 1919 lähtien. Joulukuun kuudentena päivänä vuonna1917 Suomen edukunta hyväksyi senaatin 4. joulukuuta 1917 antaman Suomen itsenäisyysjulistuksen.

Independence Day was first celebrated in 1919. However Finland was declared as an independent state, on 6 December 1917.

The Unknown Soldier by Väinö Linna/Edvin Laine

President Tarja Halonen with her husband.

Suomessa itsenäisyyspäivä on rakenteeltaan hyvin perinteinen. Tämä näkyy esimerkiksi siinä, että televisiosta esitetään jokaisena itsenäisyyspäivänä Väinö Linnan romaaniin perustuva Edvin Laineen Tuntematon Sotilas, Puolustusvoimain paraati ja linnanjuhlat vieraiden pukuarvosteluineen. Lippu liehuu salossa ja kynttilät palaa...

The day in Finland is somewhat traditional. Flag is raised up and candles are burned for the memory of people who gave their life for the country. The movie 'Tuntematon Sotilas' (=The Unknown Soldier) based on Väinö Linna's iconic novel, particularly the version directed by Edvin Laine in 1955, is shown on television. In the evening, a gala reception is held for approximately 2000 invited guests at the Presidential Palace. This event, known as Linnan juhlat ("the party at the castle") is broadcast on national television and has been a perennial favorite of the viewing public - People can critisice the horrendous outfits the guests are wearing...

You should know who these hosts/guests from last year are...

Isänpäivä

- Herrätys! Tänään on Isänpäivä. On myös lippu päivä suomessä - tämän lippun on Aarrikka. On hasu suomalainen asia. No niin!

Helvetti, Sähkötonttun on pakko näyttää suomen lippu, koska typerä ihmieset eivät ole muistaneet blogissa! Voi vitsi... minä toivon eivät ole unohtaneet heidän isänsä myös.

Nyt Sähkötonttun täytyy mennä siivottamaan jonkin kovalevy... persestä!

Apologies (redux)

Michael Fish, via

Firstly, apparently I left everyone (well my mum at least) with a bit of a cliffhanger last week because I didn't reveal the outcome of the dread suomenkielin testi.  Well I was pretty surprised to find I actually got a better mark in this one - viisi (5) - which is the top mark in the Finnish university grading system (0=fail, 1=50%, etc).  Although I did still make a couple of stupid mistakes and struggled with partitiivi/akkusitiivi objekttilause (malli: minä kirjoittan bloggin sitten katson televisiota) I pretty much cracked omaslause (to have...) malli: minulla on iso pää; nessesiivi lause (must/to have to) malli: sinun täytyy lukeä tämä bloggi joka päivä; 

I suppose I should also say anteeksi for reinforcing the stereotype lots of people have that Finland is cold all year. Before I came across that old chestnut from the days of nil point, I was originally going to write a serious post about the weather and daylight, particularly as Daylight Saving Time just ended. And if you question the advantage of BST in UK (particularly if you are in Scotland) - ask yourself what the hell is the point in Finland, except to synchronise with the rest of Europe? As this article points out (despite getting confused about GMT and UK time) Finland has plenty of light in the summer, and being in the east west half of the GMT+2 timezone (as shown on this map) is naturally half an hour into 'summer time' anyway. That is also (I guess) why the work day here is pushed to the morning - start work by 8am, lunch at 11:30, go home at 4pm.  Anyway, for anyone wanting to know about Finland's climate they can always look here and remember Helsinki (on Finland's southern coast) is at the same latitude as Lerwick whilst it's Lapland border with Norway is over 1000km further north.  For the record though: 

In Helsinki the average July high temperature is actually 22°C (which is only 1º lower than London).

The highest temperature ever recorded in Helsinki is 31.6°C. The highest temperature ever recorded [in Finland] is from July 9, 1914, when 35°C was exceeded in several places (the maximum being 35.9°C in Turku).

The lowest temperature recorded in Helsinki is -34.3°C (1987). The lowest temperature recorded at any weather station in Finland this century is -51.5°C (1999).

Now compare that to UK recorded extremes (via Met Office):

Highest: 38.5 °C 
Brogdale near Faversham (Kent), 10 August 2003.

Lowest: -27.2 °C
Braemar, Aberdeenshire, 10 January 1982 and 11 February 1895.
Altnaharra, Highland, 30 December 1995.

But enough from Michael Fish for now.

[edited 28.10.08 23:05]

Sääpäiväkirja

Keskiviikona, 22. lokakuuta: Tänään on vahan pilvista ja vahan aurinkoista. Myös tuulee. Ulkona on 10 astetta laminta. Helsingissä aurinko nousee kello 8.56 ja laskee 16.56.

Nimipäivät: Anita, Anitta, Anja, Anniina

Pilvista päivää. From Around Helsinki.

One of the things we have been doing on the suomen kielen korssi the last few weeks is to keep a weather diary (sääpäiväkirja) for each day. Since this entails looking out of the window (which I am well practiced at as my school teachers would probably remember) and looking at the outdoor thermometer (which almost every Finnish home has) this is not exactly hard work. For those of you unfamiliar with the Finnish climate, here's some background:

Finnish weather explained

+15°C / 59°F
This is as warm as it gets in Finland, so we'll start here.
People in Spain wears winter-coats and gloves.
The Finns are out in the sun, getting a tan.

+10°C / 50°F
The French are trying in vain to start their central heating.
The Finns plant flowers in their gardens.

+5°C / 41°F
Italian cars won't start.
The Finns are cruising in cabriolets.

0°C / 32°F
Distilled water freezes.
The water in the Vanda river gets a little thicker.

-5°C / 23°F
People in California almost freeze to death.
The Finns have their final barbecue before winter.

-10°C / 14°F
The Brits start the heat in their houses.
The Finns start using long sleeves.

-20°C / -4°F
The Aussies flee from Mallorca.
The Finns end their Midsummer celebrations. Autumn is here.

-30°C / -22°F
People in Greece die from the cold and disappear from the face of the earth.
The Finns start drying their laundry indoors.

-40°C / -40°F
Paris start cracking in the cold.
The Finns stand in line at the "grilli-kioski".

-50°C / -58°F
Polar bears start evacuating the North Pole.
The Finnish army postpones their winter survival training awaiting real winter weather.

-60°C / -76°F
Korvatunturi (the home for Santa Claus) freezes.
The Finns rent a movie and stay indoors.

-70°C / -94°F
The false Santa moves south.
The Finns get frustrated since they can't store their Kossu (Koskenkorva vodka) outdoors.
The Finnish army goes out on winter survival training.

-183°C / -297.4°F
Microbes in food don't survive.
The Finnish cows complain that the farmers' hands are cold.

-273°C / -459.4°F
All atom-based movent halts.
The Finns start saying "Perkele, it's cold outside today."

-300°C / -508°F
Hell freezes over.
Finland wins the Eurovision Song Contest.

...hang on a minute - didn't that happen already!?

Architecture Corner

Following on from our 'And the winner will be...' and 'Stirling Stirling' posts recently I can now announce that 100% of you who took part in the Hölynpöly poll were wrong. As anyone who didn't glaze over when the A-work appeared in the title probably knows already, Accordia won - so well done Architects: Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios/Alison Brooks Architects/Macreanor Lavington and client Countryside Properties.  Undoubtedly a cut above your typical UK residential development.

silikkamarkkinat: sea and land 'marketecture'

Yesterday, on another grey and drizzly day, and on our way to Silikkamarkkinat (that's the annual baltic herring market at Kaupatori), we went and had a look at the exhibition of 104 competition entries for the Finnish pavilion at the Shanghai Expo 2010.  This was won by JKMM's 'Kirnu' entry.  Lewism has already made a good point regarding the question of how relevant these Expo's really are to international architectural thinking these days.  What interests me is how JKMM (who amazingly also got 3rd prize for another entry - actually I maybe preferred that entry) seem to have cracked the competition 'code' in Finland, with an amazing hit rate of wins, runner-ups and mentions.  Don't get me wrong, I think with the quality of their built work (e.g. Vikki church) and their design proposals, show obvious talent and hard work, so their projects deserve the success they are getting - but their envious competitors must be wondering how to compete... so it would also be interesting to see them up against big international names: Foster, Hadid, H&M (that's the architects not the clothes store...), OMA, etc.  

Having been involved in an open RIBA competition winning scheme in the past (in the end unbuilt despite getting planning permission and 95% of funding), I also can't help being equally envious at how many of these competition wins translate into built buildings that seem to meet the aspirations of the competition entry. Maybe one day I'll get my chance.

Syksyn varit - Autumn colours

Syksyn varit ovat keltainen, oranssi, puninen ja ruskea...

As well as enjoying the autumnal colours, we also found a Functionalist modernist building at Vierumäkki - built in the late 20's and used as a hospital during the war its is now part of the Sports Institute there.  You might also notice (in the other pictures) that the forest tracks have lights - that's because these double as ski-trails in the (dark) winter months. Just add snow...

Arvosteluasteikko - Grades

Here's a nice picture to calm you down from the thought of exams...

It will come as no surprise to anyone if I say I don't really like exams. I mean who does? Equally I have never really thought I was any good at languages, as a stunning CSE grade 2 at French backs up. (For those of you who are to young, or as old as me but not from UK, a CSE grade 1 was equivalent to a C grade 'O' Level (a pass) back in the days before GCSEs... so a 2 is not very good).  And when it comes to Finnish language tests my only previous experience (in London a few years ago) was less than a happy one.

So I am now the proud owner of a todistus (certificate) showing I achieved Grade 4 at Level 1 'Finnish for Foreigners' and completed 52 lesson modules worth 4 ECTS credits, at Helsingin Seudun Kesäyliopisto ... err, hang on, was that a Grade 4?

It did take me at least 30 loooong seconds to realize that the Finnish grade system goes from 0 (fail) to 5 (excellent) so a 4 is kiitettävä or very good; Wow! And as the papers were given out in order, I must have got the third highest mark out of our twenty odd group of ulkomaalaiset. 

Then we got our papers back and saw my actual mark was 92%... flippin' heck, what do you need for excellent!?

Still, only one down and three more to go before Christmas, and I had done half of this before, but maybe I'm not so bad at languages after all. Minä sanon 'ehkä...'!

Metsän poika tahdon olla, sankar jylhän kuusiston

Suomi artifacts like puukko and kuksa

The birthday of my other half is now a distant memory, but his path towards a true 'metsän poika' (= son of the forest) has started... After receiving 'kuksa' (= handmade wooden cup carved out of birch burl) from Hiri (otherwise known as Hiiri) the other half has slowly build up his wilderness essentials from Suomi t-shirt to 'puukko' (= woodcrafted belt-knife which is used as a tool... not a weapon). The other half is now ready to continue wilderness hikes such as the Herajärvi kierros (= Lake Herajärvi hiking tour) in Koli which we did counter clockwise from Pirunkirkko (= Devil's church) to Ryläys mid August.

View from Ukko-Koli viewing place over the lake Pielinen 

On the other hand the other half might 'utilize' his other birthday present/s more. They were the famous Finnish Reino-slippers... Autumn is here and perhaps the Reinos are more comfortable than dragging 30kg 'rinkka' (= rucksack) along the ridges of Koli... Not yet though - oh no no... Next weekend is the trip to Vierumäki 'mökki' and Reinos can stay behind... The other half can once more sing the song of Aleksis Kivi: Terve, metsä, terve, vuori - Terve, metsän ruhtinas - Täs on poikas, uljas, nuori (39 in his case!) - Esiin käy hän, voimaa täys - Kuin tuima tunturin tuuli ... Metsän poika tahdon olla, sankar jylhän kuusiston... lal lal laaaaaa... Happy b-day sweetie - put your Reinos on and take it easy!

Reinos from the Ainot ja Reinot -collection

P.S. I will write about the Heräjärvi experience soon...