Discussion Topic |
|
This thread has been locked |
Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
|
My first evening in Helsinki I was really jonesing for a good meal after
months in the Soviet Union. I walked all over Helsinki wondering why there
were so many Italian restaurants. WTF? Then I found out 'Ravintola' is not
Finnish for 'ravioli' - it means restaurant. By then I was so tired I just
went to a store and bought some herring and vodka like the rest of the Finns.
|
|
Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
|
|
Yes both rally - with Mäkinen and Grönholm - and F1 - with Häkkinen and Raikkonen - as examples.
"Michelin food" (**) in Finland: http://chezdominique.fi/home
|
|
Borut
Mountain climber
Ljubljana, Slovenia
|
|
Here are some news (in English) from the General Consulate of Nepal in Ljubljana, Slovenia: http://nepconsulate.si/
|
|
Borut
Mountain climber
Ljubljana, Slovenia
|
|
I have good friends from Finland, living in Berlin. Aulikki and her family are great people, very friendly and warm hearted. She comes from way up North in Finland, places one can apparently sometimes only reach by plane. Heard a lot about pike fishing - they bite -, and sometimes too many mosquitoes when the temps are high.
Borut
|
|
Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
|
|
How come nobody has pointed out that Finland is the UFO Capitol of Europe?
|
|
Borut
Mountain climber
Ljubljana, Slovenia
|
|
I'd sometimes argue with Aulikki about Santa Claus and skis. Both Finland and Slovenia consider Santa Claus and skis as their own discovery.
Borut
(edit: link)
|
|
Sparky
Trad climber
vagabond movin on
|
|
What we can learn from Finland’s successful school reform
Finland came from behind to become the world leader in student achievement. Their strategy is the opposite of what we’re doing in America.
By Linda Darling-Hammond
http://www.nea.org/home/40991.htm
|
|
wallyvirginia
Trad climber
Stockholm, Sweden
|
|
[Click to View YouTube Video]
This is Finland for me. By the way this movie is awesome from start to Finnish. Pun intended..
@Borut
Everybody knows who invented the skis, and it was neither of you guys.. ;-)
|
|
Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
|
|
|
|
Park Rat
Social climber
CA, UT,CT,FL
|
|
My mother's family came from Finland. My grandmother came from the Swedish side of Finland, a little town called Kokkola, she spoke Finnish, Danish, Swedish, and later English. My grandfather was born in a small village, called Parkkala on the Finland, Russian border. He spoke both Finnish and Russian before he immigrated to Oregon at the turn-of-the-century.
In 1972 I visited Finland, we flew north to the small town of Savonlinna. I was driven by a guide to the Russian border. I did not know at that time that I was within a few miles of my grandfathers farm. I will never forget what the guide told me as we stood looking out at the border. It was a chilly almost snowy May morning. We were looking at a scene that very much resembled a Christmas card with pine trees, lakes and some small stone buildings. She started telling me a little about World War II.
My guide pointed to a pine tree and said to me, we stopped the Russians at that tree!
I was speechless. Not we stopped the Russians in this area or at this building, but at this very tree. It was so poignant I've never forgotten.
It was clear to me that in 1972 that the Russians were very much a threat to Finland. They were bombarded with propaganda via radio at that time. Finnish people I spoke to were all pro-American, they wanted to know everything I can tell them about my country. They especially wanted to know what was happening on their favorite American television programs.
Oh, I left out one other fun tidbit. Late in the afternoon I was taken to the factory my husband was visiting. My female guide took me into a large indoor swimming pool. We went into a small dressing room, where she proceeded to take off all of her clothes. I had no choice but to follow suit, so to speak.
She was telling me that this was going to be a great treat, I would be experiencing a real sauna. What she meant was that I was going to be roasted slowly at a very high temperature, chuckle. It was extremely hot, to say the least. When I was lobster red, we showered, and jumped into the pool, swam a lap, then she handed me a drink called cloudberry wine. We returned to the sauna and repeated the process two more times. The whole time I'm hoping, no praying that no one joins us in this fun treat. I'm also thinking that I'm going to kill my new husband for getting me into this situation.
That night we attended a dinner in our honor. I was given a certificate saying I had endured a proper Finnish sauna.
The dinner lasted for over four hours with more courses that I can remember. What I can remember was that there was a different wine or alcohol served with every course. Somewhere in the first or second hour I realized I was never going to make it through the evening if I tried to keep up with my hosts.
It is very true that the Fins love their vodka. Actually they love all things alcohol. It's amazing they get any work done, considering their drinking habits.
|
|
justthemaid
climber
Jim Henson's Basement
|
|
I grew up next door to this guy: http://eino.org/ The view out our house was a landscape littered with his marble sculptures. His ex was also an artist and I definitely credit them as early influences on my professional artist career.
Not your typical Finn. His normal-sounding bio there minimizes his wild personality considerably.
|
|
mojede
Trad climber
Butte, America
|
|
The Helsinki Yacht Club and Bar--Finntown/Butte, Montana
Where the annual naming of St. Urho takes place...
edit: Yes, there are saunas in there:-)
|
|
sempervirens
climber
|
|
Two long-time co-workers, one a Swede and one a Finn, who had never before socialized decided to have a drink together one evening.
Swede pours vodka for each of them.
Swede: skol!
Finn: ungh.
Swede pours a second vodka for each
Swede: skol!
Finn: ungh.
Swede pours a third time.
Swede: skol!
Finn: did we come here to talk or did we come here to drink?
|
|
|
SuperTopo on the Web
|
Let us know!