Officially two months in this wonderful country, I feel at home.
I get to spend time at lovely cottages in the countryside, filled with warm people who invite me to come again.
I have wonderful colleagues who promise me rides on their motorcycles and bring an extra helmet to keep at work, in case I forget.
I have good friends who share their Maca tea with me and spiritually heal me when I fall sick.
I work with people who respect your ideas and actually think you can be productive.
I live in a city that has character, history and passionate people, who consistently think about and talk of growth, change, diversity and faith.
I have gym instructors who call me by first name to correct a technique I have been screwing up.
I am experiencing a culture where people actually take time to smell the roses or burnt wood in the sauna, enjoy the little pleasures in life, may it be a bite of breadcheese, a cup of tea or a simple stroll down Alexsanterinkaatu.
I celebrated India's world cup win in a strange land, with a bunch of passionate cricket fans of different nationalities, in a bar run by Australians and Kiwis.
I love how the Finns love their Indian food without having any clue about what they are eating and enthusiastically lap your descriptions about the Malai koftas and the lentil based cuisine of South India.
I love how being fit and healthy is wired in their heads in tandem with their love for beer and spirits.
I am not kidding when I say my favorite part of the day is when I am sitting naked, dripping in sweat, in silence, in a closed chamber heated upto 80 degrees with other hot, naked people.
Just sitting there.
hyvaä
I get to spend time at lovely cottages in the countryside, filled with warm people who invite me to come again.
I have wonderful colleagues who promise me rides on their motorcycles and bring an extra helmet to keep at work, in case I forget.
I have good friends who share their Maca tea with me and spiritually heal me when I fall sick.
I work with people who respect your ideas and actually think you can be productive.
I live in a city that has character, history and passionate people, who consistently think about and talk of growth, change, diversity and faith.
I have gym instructors who call me by first name to correct a technique I have been screwing up.
I am experiencing a culture where people actually take time to smell the roses or burnt wood in the sauna, enjoy the little pleasures in life, may it be a bite of breadcheese, a cup of tea or a simple stroll down Alexsanterinkaatu.
I celebrated India's world cup win in a strange land, with a bunch of passionate cricket fans of different nationalities, in a bar run by Australians and Kiwis.
I love how the Finns love their Indian food without having any clue about what they are eating and enthusiastically lap your descriptions about the Malai koftas and the lentil based cuisine of South India.
I love how being fit and healthy is wired in their heads in tandem with their love for beer and spirits.
I am not kidding when I say my favorite part of the day is when I am sitting naked, dripping in sweat, in silence, in a closed chamber heated upto 80 degrees with other hot, naked people.
Just sitting there.
hyvaä
