Some Interesting Tidbits About Finland

People seem curious about Finland!

I think part of the mystique stems from the fact it’s not a particularly common European tourist destination (it is cold), and also because it features prominently as the Happiest Country in the World (ranked first for nine consecutive years).

Here are a few things I’ve learned while temporarily living in Finland:

• Parts of Helsinki (and various other Finnish cities) have heated pavement. Buried pipes circulate warm liquid (usually from residual “waste” energy) automatically when sensors detect snowy/icy conditions, which helps prevent slippery sidewalks before they even form. Not only does it cut down on winter accidents, it means they don’t have to use nearly as much sand or salt. We could definitely use this technology for our driveway back home.
• Finland has two official languages: Finnish and Swedish. Almost every sign appears in both, and sometimes the names look/sound completely different. On our tram route, I’ll memorize the Finnish stop name, then look up and see the Swedish version flashing and suddenly have no idea where I am. I’ve found it very confusing! Finnish students are required to learn Swedish, so Finns are fully fluent in both languages (though most of them are also proficient in English). In fact, to graduate from university, students have to pass a Swedish language test. In Finnish it’s called virkaruotsi… in Swedish it’s tjänstesvenska. I rest my case about being confused!
• Despite people often grouping Finland with Scandinavia, this isn’t correct. Scandinavia = Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Finland is part of the Nordic region which is Scandinavia + Finland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. The Finnish language is also quite different. Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish are all Germanic languages, but Finnish belongs to the Uralic language family. Its closest major relative is actually Hungarian. It’s a notoriously hard language to learn. Also, Finns tend to mumble when they talk. As one person described it to me, they sound like they’re talking around a mouth full of marbles. (My Danish SIL said that’s how Danes talk, too.) They also tend to trail off at the end of their sentences!

• I’ve mentioned this before, but nobody here seems to use bottled water. Finland’s tap water is unbelievably good and without a doubt the best tap water I’ve ever encountered… and much better than our treated tap water back home. This must cut down on so. much. plastic.

• Finns are QUIET. Finland is quiet. Here’s a joke: “An introverted Finn looks at their own shoes when they’re talking to you. An extroverted Finn looks at your shoes.” Even crowded places feel calm and orderly. Apartment buildings are silent. Playgrounds full of kids are very quiet, even though they’re playing and having fun. Trams are quiet. Metros are quiet. I have not heard a SINGLE CAR HORN* the entire time we’ve been here; the quiet is palpable (but in a good way). After all the other cities we’ve visited, it’s shockingly quiet here… When John and Belle were out on Vappu—a day full of picnic parties for university students, a notoriously rowdy crowd—they couldn’t get over how quiet it all felt despite the crowds. (*Update: I finally heard a car horn! It was a taxi driver and he was honking to let a confused tourist know they could safely cross the street.)
• Pedestrian safety is unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Cars stop long before they reach crosswalks. Buses stop. Trams stop. Nobody inches forward impatiently. It’s so, so different from the rushed, frenetic vibe of most major cities.

• Finns consume more coffee per person than anywhere else in the world (about 26 pounds/year/person), and the energy drink culture is equally intense. At the grocery store there are giant coolers full of energy drinks. Everyone seems caffeinated at all times (even teens). Kahvipaussi—which literally translates to coffee pause—is often a mandated and contractually protected part of the work day.
• Helsinki has over 300 islands within city limits. One of them, Rajasaari, has a singular purpose: it’s off-leash dog park.
• Finland calculates traffic fines based on income (if you’re >20 km/h over the limit), which has resulted in some eye-watering six-figure speeding tickets for wealthy drivers. Police have immediate access to everyone’s tax information from a central database. The reasoning is that this way traffic fines will have a proportional financial impact.

Okay. That’s enough for today. I have lots more random observations for another “Finland Tidbits” post, so stay tuned 🙂

Your turn.

• How do you feel about speed fines being calculated based on income?
• What’s the quietest city you’ve ever visited?
• How many languages do you speak fluently?