Most of the strange legends you hear about Finland are probably true. But as a Chinese who has settled here, I can responsibly tell you that this is a place that seems to be icy and snowy, but it is actually warm and loving.
About two years ago, a group of photos called "How Finns Queue for Bus" went viral. In the photo, people waiting for the bus are about a meter apart, lined up in an orderly manner in the rain and snow. Many friends have screenshots asking me, do Finns really line up like this? The answer is yes. I also asked local Finns why they would rather be beaten by the wind and rain than crowd under a pavilion waiting for a bus. The TA's response was basically the same: "I am a Finn, we are not afraid of wind and rain, but we need our own independent space and safe distance." The idea is, don't touch me if it's okay.
This is also reflected in taking the bus. On buses, seats that should have been four people per row often sit only two people, and the two people don't sit next to each other. People who don't know each other rarely sit together, preferring to stand rather than embarrassed.
Interestingly, Finns, with such a clean personality, love extreme metal music. Finland has one of the largest number of metal bands in the world. By the way, ask the domestic metal fans, their enlightenment band may be from Finland. Finnish firefighters once joked that the most important thing they do here is not to fight fires, but to search for black metal musicians who got lost in the forest to shoot album covers. Walking on the streets of Finland, I often see girls and young men with countless holes in their faces and countless rings, and I often see aunts who dye their hair green, blue and purple, in quantities that I have never seen in other European countries.
This love of extreme metal music and gothic culture may have something to do with their historical and cultural background: many bands are inspired by ancient and mysterious Norse mythology. In addition, Finland is dark for several months of the year, with long days and long nights. Living in a place where photosynthesis is largely impossible, roaring singing may be a healthy activity that can release depression more easily.
Finland's high suicide rate and depression are also a long-standing topic, not unrelated to the long winter. Finland is the northernmost part of the planet, with a quarter of the country within the Arctic Circle, and the sun does not rise above the horizon for 51 days in winter in the northernmost region. Haven't experienced the polar night? You can actually imagine that you live in a place where the sky is just dawned at 11 a.m., and then an hour and a half later the gray sky quickly turns to night. Not only is this place not only not visible, but also often stormy and snowy, and there are no entertainment facilities. Just thinking about it makes me feel a little breathless and panicked.
Since the winter here is the kind of extreme weather that can be minus 30 or 40 degrees at every turn, there are basically no other outdoor entertainment facilities except skiing and ice fishing, so Finns basically stay at home in winter, sauna, drink, watch ice hockey games, listen to extreme metals. In the vast and profound Finnish language, there is a very high-energy word that accurately describes the Finns who do nothing, do not socialize and enjoy drinking - "Kalsarikönnit". This short word translates to drinking alone at home wearing only underwear. Now have you ever experienced the loneliness in Finns' bones?
In just two or three months of summer in Finland, the sun does not set below the horizon for 73 days in the far north. If you make up your brain, the sun will still hang in the sky at twelve o'clock at midnight, and you can't sleep without closing the blackout curtains when you sleep. I think that such an extreme natural environment has also led to a high incidence of depression to a certain extent.
When I first came to Finland, I thought I would be quite comfortable, but I was still a little negative because I had nothing to do, and it got dark early in winter, so I was really depressed. Winter in Finland is really long, lasting from late October to late April. Although the weather is a little warmer in March, it can still be stormy, and in April last year there were still heavy snowballs.
This kind of weather really made me think, do I really want to live here? Outdoors for more than half the year, it is dead grass and bald, visually lifeless. In addition, culturally, Finland is not as rich as other European countries, even other Nordic countries. Its short 100-year history can be said to be all war, and it is relatively lacking in culture and art. And for a girl like me who loves beauty, I basically can't wear a skirt for a few days all year round, and my physical happiness is still quite low.
No way, my beloved and his beloved family are here. And Finland has its advantages. For example, for me who doesn't speak Finnish, living here is indeed slightly more convenient than in other European countries, because English is so widely spoken here that even cashiers, vegetable sellers, and sanitation workers can speak.
Also, as a woman living in Finland, I experienced what gender equality is. Although Finland is a country with a small international presence, it is a pioneer of women's rights among European countries. As early as 1906, Finland enacted universal suffrage, becoming the first European country to grant women the right to vote, fourteen years before the United States. Perhaps the deep individualism of the Nordics laid the foundation for their later ideas of women's independence. After living here, I gradually discovered that Finnish women are strong, independent and assertive, which is not unrelated to their education.
I often see little girls chasing and playing with boys in the street garden, they also like to climb high, they like to crawl in the sand, they like to play football and ice hockey, and their parents will only stand quietly next to each other, or a few parents chatting together, never thinking that this game is not suitable for girls and stopping them. Starting in 2017, all Finnish grade 9 students will receive a free copy of Adice's book "We All Have to Be Feminists", written by Adice and translated into Finnish. It can be seen that the concept of equality between men and women is cultivated from an early age. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Finland's founding, and the Finnish government announced the establishment of the International Gender Equality Award on Women's Day. The award also underlines Finland's position as a leader in international gender equality.
The World Economic Forum published a "World Gap Report", which showed that Finland has the second highest gender equality index in the world, after Iceland. The report provides a comprehensive assessment of gender equality in countries around the world from economic, educational, political and health perspectives. Finland ranks in the top three in the world in almost every category.
Of course, the high welfare benefits of the Nordic countries also provide a great help to liberate women. For example, Finland's maternity leave provision allows pregnant women to take maternity leave 50 days before giving birth, and mothers are entitled to 105 days of paid maternity leave after giving birth. Not only that, but mothers can also apply for full-time parental leave to take care of their children until they reach the age of three. During these three years, the mother's company had no choice but to dismiss her under any pretext and had to reserve her position until the end of her parental leave. So women in Finland are not forced to lose their jobs because they have children, let alone quit their jobs because they take care of them. This is beyond the reach of many countries, including China.
Finland isn't the only one in winter. Summer here is another reason why I love Finland so much. Finland in summer is a great place to linger with beautiful scenery and the right temperatures. But one of the most important reasons why I want to live in Finland is the Finns. Finns are easily mistaken for being as cold as the weather, when in fact they are warm and emotional.