Morning - Day - Night

In this post I want to talk about what I recognized in Pori in the morning, during the day and at night.

At a 'normal' day I get up between 6.30 and 7 o'clock, have a copious breakfast and then I ride by bike to the university. I need app. about 20-25 minutes (a spotive Finn would maybe need 15 minutes) to my workplace and everyday I hope that it's not going to rain, because then I had to take the bus (and as you know: here in Pori using buses is like gambling). On my way to the university I can see quite a lot other cyclists, but it's not that different from my home country - when I went to the university or to work in Germany, there were a lot of people on their way to work in the early hours of the day as well. So, that one was no big surprise. Another similarity between Finland and Germany is their punctuality and their organized way of doing things - and I have to say: I like that! A good organized and well-arranged time table always makes me happy :-)

When morning is almost over and we are close to lunch, people are starting to hit the canteen. Normally, Finns eat lunch between 11 and 13 (latest!). A few colleagues and I regulary eat at 11.30 and the break ends 30 minutes later - of course we could stay longer, but a half an hour break would be normal. The menu offers something different every day, e.g. potatoes, meat, noodles, rice, vegetables, salad (every day) or some casseroles. But one thing that is served on a regular basis is (of course) BREAD! Most of the Finnish people do not use the bread to dip it into the sauce of the main dish (or something like that), they just butter the bread (and it seems like they are really loving it!). Sometimes they serve a drink for lunch, which is some kind of 'home made beer' - first I was a little bit shocked, because I did not expect any beer for lunch (on the workplace), but as I recognized later, there is almost no alcohol in it. I think I have to ask my colleagues once more what this is all about, so maybe on the next post there will be some more information about the 'lunch-beer'! To wrap it up I'll have to say that (so far) I really love the Finnish food, I hadn't have one meal which I did not like!

After work, which mostly ends around 16.00, I'll get home, relaxing a little bit, eating a little supper, maybe buying some stuff at the supermarket or doing a bit sport... Last weekend it was my first time we went out in Pori. First we met some students from the social services and health care department in an appartment near the marketplace, which is owned by some of the female students from our group. My roommate and I were trying some Finnish red wine and sorry, but for me the Finnish wine was as strong as a shot - it really did not taste bad, it was just too strong (at least for my taste). After two hours we went down the river to watch the fireworks organized by the City of Pori. The reason for this was the celebration of the 'unofficial' last days of summer, unfortunately. Well, after seeing the great fireworks, we met some more Erasmus students, went to a bar and finally to a club called Down Under. I have to say, I was kind of surprised then... I am used to clubs in which people (at one night) represent the same lifestyles, e.g. rock/gothic people, pop girlies, hip hop guys, jazz lovers, and so on. So, in my experiences the clubs are either full with people representing the one OR the other lifestyle. But in this club you could find every kind of lifestyle, which made up a funny-looking and (let's say) very interesting mixture! And I think Finnish people are used to that way of variety, because it seemed normal to all the people in the club to belong to such a heterogeneous audience. I liked it, it was something different, new and interesting. What irritated me a bit as well, was the black jack table in the middle of the club, to be honest, I have never seen such an 'offer' in a surrounding like that before. Oh, but by the way, why are there even some gambling machines in the front corridor of a normal supermarket? I do not know, but actually people are using those kind of machines, really. 

Okay, I think that's it for today. See you next week or maybe earlier! Moikka!

Finnish People = Quiet People?

There is a rumor that Finns are rather quiet people, who are very introverted. So far, I cannot affirm that or at least I have to say, you have to answer that question in a more differentiated way - and that's what I am trying to do right now.

As I already mentioned in my first post, Finnish people are very helpful and aim to help others. There was e.g. this young lady in the woods at Yyteri during the first week in Finland, who helped me and my friend to find our way home. In the meanwhile there were plenty of those situations, such in the supermarket or in the laundry room. Everytime I asked somebody I got a friendly and elaborate answer - even if a person was kind of stressed out at that moment. This behaviour, which was very supportive and courteous, really gives you a good feeling about living here in Finland.

But there are in fact some situations in which silence is more obvious than in other cultures. For example in the buses or at bus stops: yes, I mentioned before that buses are only rarely used (at least here in Pori), but nevertheless I have to state, that it is very, very quiet in those buses - no matter if there are even bigger groups or children riding it. The first time driving by bus, I got kind of a strange and uncomfortable feeling, because it seemed like my friend and I were talking so loud that it was a little bit of an entertainment for all  the other passengers (and actually it was not THAT loud, of course). Let's take Germany for comparison, there the volume level in public transportation is like a rocket launch or having a seat in the first row of a Motörhead concert :-D You will find a quiet atmosphere in canteens or restaurants in Finland as well (at least, that is what I experienced in the first two weeks). Of course people DO talk in there, but not in a very bustling way and without noticeable gestures or something like that.

In my former workplaces there has always been a lot of talking in the office. People were incessantly walking into the office, there were meetings and presentation updates with 4-5 people, discussions about new processes,  and so on. It was common that feelings, opinions and thoughts were shared with the whole crowd in the office. In our office at SAMK it is rather silent and people are very focused on their work - so quiet you could hear a pin drop. That does not mean, the communication is bad, I think it is just another way to handle work, in a more calm, considerate and discreet way. As I mentioned before, we have a little coffee kitchen in which we meet for two short coffee breaks each day. The atmosphere there is really great and as you can see day by day, the team spirit is very good as well! To wrap it up I just want to say that neither the one nor the other way of doing business work will be considered as better or worse. But obviously  it is not just a cultural influence - it also depends on the company culture itself and, of course, the people (as individuals)  working there. My current workplace here at SAMK, in distinct to my former employer in Germany, could not be any more different, but I see this new environment as a fascinating experience and a challenge as well!

By the way: this is my office place

So far so good! Moi Moi!

Hello Finland! Arrival and first days at work...here we go!

My plane at Frankfurt International Aiport in Germany to Helsinki/Vantaa left last Wednesday. What I had in my pocket was my best friend who travelled with me for the first five days, great expectations and a lot of curiosity, because it was the first time for me to leave my home country for longer than just a short vacation. Before I started my journey to Finland a lot of people asked me why I decided to go there and what I expect from this internship. When I thought of Finland before making the decision to move there, I thought of a country with a stunning and rich nature, friendly people, a very good educational system, difficult language and outdoor activities (just to name a few things). My impression of the nature so far is confirmed at its fullest: amazing woods, nice lakes and (I never thought of that) an amazing white, sandy beach at Yyteri!

Yyteri beach

The people here in Finland are very helpful and friendly, the cliché that Finnish people are rather reserved and a bit cautious has not been confirmed at all! There was e.g. this one day at my first week in Finland when my friend and I travelled to Yyteri, but in the evening we missed the bus (or better to say: there was just no bus coming as it was stated at the bus station) and so we stand in the middle of nowhere without any idea how to make it to Pori. Luckily we met a young finnish lady who was on her way for a little run and we asked her if she could help us. She walked approximately 25 minutes to another bus station with us and called at least 3 people to get the information when and where the next bus to Pori is leaving. That was very impressive to us and it was not the only situation that a local person took a lot of time to help us!

Another thing I recognized was that Finnish people are very active and sportive (from my point of view): all the time you see many people of all ages driving by bike, running, using those walking sticks or playing a ballgame on a sportsfield. It seems like they're enjoying the summer to the fullest (with regard to the long, cold winter which is surely going to come).

 On the way from the university to the Kirjurinluoto Park

One thing which was and still is kind of confusing is the situation with the public tranportation: there are a lot of possibilties to go by bus and there are many bus stops (sometimes it is just a stone's throw from one to the next), BUT it is very difficult to get that system, if you can even call that a system. The bus stops (or most of them) don't have names and the bus timetables are only available in Finnish, which doesn't simplify the whole procedure. That is maybe one reason why locals use the bus not very often if they use it at all. A collegue told me that even she as an inhabitant of Pori doesn't understand or trust the bus service. But anyhow, my colleagues (and other people, like the nice lady in Yyteri) always try to help me as much as they can to get the right bus!

The first days of work at the International Office are pleasant and the collegues are really, really nice although I am still a bit nervous, because of the new workplace and the different environment. The people in the office speak all very good English and they always have a smile on their face. If I have a question or a problem I can ask them anytime and they try their best to support me! What is new in relation to my former internships in Germany is that there are intergrated (let's say) coffee breaks where most of  the people of our corridor meet in a little kitchen to have a cup of coffee and a little snack - that's a good way to get to know new colleagues and (in my opinion) to improve the whole work atmosphere.

One of the main entrances of the university

When it comes to food there are some things to say as well: it seems that Finns like potatoes, fish and milk (no, I'd to say this is even understated, they LOVE it!). Potatoes and fish are common in canteens and refectories, you can see it almost every day. And in many cases you can see people who drink milk at their lunch, which I thought is rather a drink for breakfast, but not in combination with reindeer meat and potatoes. And if you believe it or not: iceream seems to be very popular in Finland - hard to believe, because of the climate here. First you would think of countries like Italy or Spain when it comes to icecream, however far wrong! You can see a lot of icecream booths all over the city and in many cases you can read the name "Ingman" on those booths, one of the largest food manufacturers in Finland (and I can tell you, the icecream is delicious!).

 Market in Helsinki

 

 

Icecream-break at the beach in Yyteri

This was the first posting, the next one will come soon! If you have any feedback, I would be glad to get a comment from you. Kiitos! Hei hei!