4. From your conversations with Finnish people, what have you learned about the Finnish culture? How do you compare the things you learned from the way things are in the American culture?
One of the first things I noticed about the Finnish culture is that everyone likes to keep to themselves. As loud and proud Americans, we're no stranger to small talk and friendly conversation. Here, it feels like the only time you speak to someone else is to ask them a question or two, and that's it. Whether it's about what stops the tram will take or what time it is, it always seems to start and finish within 2 or 3 exchanges. This all seemed very out of place for me, because as Luke Kindelin so accurately stated, "It's like a country full of introverts". There were no normal day-to-day interactions, exchange of pleasantries, it's just a very quiet day at the bus stop.
Something else I noticed the other day was the shockingly low crime rate. Typically, when I travel, I constantly have my hands in my pockets to protect myself against pickpocketers. I'll usually be in a crowded place with people constantly bumping into me and pushing past me, so naturally I'd be on the defense. In Finland, however, when I went to the fish market, I felt as if it were totally unnecessary to keep my hands in my pockets. Everyone kept within their own personal bubble, nobody came remotely near my pockets, and there weren't any shady looking people in the crowd. Also, when I went to Aalto University to see the Aurora Borealis last night, I didn't see a single blue light phone for emergencies. Meanwhile, Texas A&M makes sure that not only do we have these safety precautions, but you can see ~2-3 other blue light phones from any given post. This leads me to believe one of two things: Either the crime rate is so staggeringly low that the kinds of problems that require these safety poles don't exist in Finland (or rarely happen at all), or Aalto University doesn't take the necessary precautions of keeping it's students safe. Unsurprisingly, I'm going to go with the first option.
The foods that I've been exposed to have been things along the lines of berries, milk, Sahtis, kebab, and reindeer. The reindeer has historical significance, since up in the Laplands, this was their main source of food to survive through winter. The kebab was adopted from the Middle-East and flourished in Finland as an inexpensive and rich meat, and can be found around nearly every corner. The Finnish cuisine tends to be fresh and healthy, which is where the berries and milk come into the equation. Lastly, Sahti is a type of Finnish beer that's brewed with Juniper berries, which give it a foresty, almost medicinal taste, and is one of the most popular homebrews in the country.
Public transportation seems to be a big thing in Finland, most likely because everything is very close together, so a personal vehicle may not be needed. Everything is within reasonable walking distance, the buses and trams are always on-schedule, and the use of a pass that lets you on any public transportation in Finland is remarkable. Compared to the United States, public transportation doesn't seem to be as common, and more people own their own methods of transportation.
If you compared all of this to American culture, I think Finland would come out on top in each category, with the exception of food. I prefer Finland's way of communicating with one another over America's any day, because personally, I like to consider myself an introvert. I don't talk to people, and I prefer it when people don't talk to me. If something needs to be asked or needs an answer, only then should it be appropriate to engage in conversation. I definitely choose Finland's crime rate over America's, because I think the lower the crime rate, the better the stance of the country and it's people. However, I would've preferred if the Finnish campuses took a page out of the US University books and constructed emergency poles for people to use, just in case. In regards to food, I'd have to choose America over Finland, mainly due to the fact that America has a lot more diversity and freedom in what we eat. In Finland, you'll find the same pizza/kebab/falafel/reindeer place anywhere you go. But, in their defense, since they have such a specific food preference, they've pretty much mastered the art of cooking any dish dealing with them, and they are incredible. Lastly, for public transportation, I think Finland does a better job of providing it compared to America. Even though America has more people using personal vehicles, Finland is very compact and it's possible to walk from place to place, yet the buses and trams are very easily accessible for the general public to use.
I think this study abroad really helped open my eyes to see how other parts of the world function. This was something I had never experienced before, and I know that once I return home, the differences in the atmosphere will be much clearer. Finland has definitely been one of my favorite countries to visit, and I truly hope to return some day in the future. In the mean time, I'm just glad I won't have to hear "Kiitos" or "sina olet kaunis" every ten seconds anymore.
Also, on a side note, I'd like to thank the people of Finland for learning the English language, since us Americans are pretty much incapable of learning any language other than our own, and sometimes even that's a challenge for us.
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