Cultural Clashes: Mom's Visit to Finland

My mom spent almost 3 weeks in Finland with us and it was quite a ride. I'm thankful for the opportunity, because she's not getting any younger and coming here is such a loooooong journey. She was amazed at how bright it was during the nights and in Lapland she said that the sky felt so close (close enough to make her feel like she could grab the clouds with her bare hands LOL!). She enjoyed good weather for two full weeks (sunny and warm, about 20'C), but then the temperature took a dive and it was rainy/grey for the last week. The good thing about this was that she got to see some autumn colours (mostly some yellow colours). She also got a few chances to see some reindeer in Lapland, so that was cool, too. 

One thing I realized during her visit was that I had taken so many things for granted. There are so many things that have become my new normal that I hadn't anticipated telling/explaining to her. Case in point: the day before she was supposed to fly back to Indo, she asked me why the toilet sprayer (the small spray for your private parts next to the toilet) didn't work well whenever she used it. I had forgotten that back home at her place, her toilet sprayer wasn't connected to the sink, so it would automatically spray water whenever you press the handle. However, here in Finland all the toilet sprayers are connected to the sink, so you have to open the tap at the sink first before you're able to use the toilet sprayer. What surprised me (and made me slightly amused) was the fact that it took her that long to ask me that.

Other than those pragmatic daily stuff (like how to use the stove, how to use the shower, how to open/close the blinds, etc.), lots of cultural differences also appeared. Here are a list of things I can think of right now:

1. Sauna

During the good weather period, I introduced my mom to MIL's sauna in another village. That sauna uses firewood, so I thought it would be a different experience for her. The first time we were there, the weather was so gorgeous and warm, so I told my mom she could just take a bath there in the sauna if she didn't want to stay there too long. She did take a bath, but she said it was way too hot for her. When the weather became cooler, my mom said it was so cold that she didn't want to shower. So I offered her to warm up the sauna at our place. I told her to go inside before the sauna got too hot, so this time she managed to enjoy the sauna experience better. The next time I was warming up the sauna, she was more than ready to jump inside, especially because the weather was cold. So in the beginning she didn't understand the benefits of the sauna at all (esp. when the weather was gorgeous outside), but once it became colder, she began to enjoy going there. 

2. Crossing the Streets

We spent some time in Helsinki with my mom (we ourselves rarely go to Helsinki because it's a long journey from here and it's not cheap to travel in Finland) and in the beginning the way she was crossing the street was Indonesian style. As long as the streets looked empty, regardless of the light, she would automatically start to move forward LOL! 

3. Clearing Your Own Table At Some Places

We spent a day in Rovaniemi at a hotel that offered free breakfast and in that hotel, guests were asked to clear their own table. There were designated places for utensils, bowls, etc. In some cafes in the airport as well, there are usually carts where people can put away their trays. These things were new for my mom. 

4. Seeing Drunk People

My mom was surprised to see some drunk people in the streets/at some parks. In Indonesia, drinking alcoholic drinks isn't customary and you rarely see drunk people in public places in broad daylight (perhaps only at some bars during the wee hours of the day).

I had something else to add to this list, but it has escaped me at the moment. I'll write it down when I remember it later. Here are some photos of us in a collage. The bottom middle pic is when my mom tasted my homemade reindeer meat. :-D

Introvert Galore: Becoming More Finnish?

I think I've once written how I feel more at home in Finland compared to Indonesia in terms of my being an introvert. What's fascinating is that another expat from the USA, who's also an introvert, has felt the same way. She also feels that in her home country, society expects people to be more of an extrovert than an introvert. I think the longer I stay here, the more I feel like I become Finnish in this aspect. You see, a new expat friend of mine has noticed something funny about the Finns. She said that when she meets up with the locals that she's met many times before, sometimes when they aren't in the mood, you can literally feel a distance between the two of you. My friend's husband had even warned her beforehand about this typical shift in attitude when it came to the locals, so my friend was well prepared, even though it still baffled her a bit.

When I heard this, I started thinking of myself and how true it was. Or is it more correct to say that I'm becoming more like me because at the end of the day, I'm an introvert after all? Whichever is the case, these days there are times when I just don't feel like talking to anyone. Interacting with people can be so exhausting. No wonder I feel so at home with my hubby who can be categorized as a silent type. The longer I stay with him, the longer I stay in Finland, the more I value the sound of silence.

During the time when I was doing translations at home, once an uncle of mine suggested to my mom to try to encourage me to join a club or something like that. He just wanted me to get out of the house and mingle with people. Funny how he didn't say it directly to me, but to my mom, but anyway...I didn't feel like I needed to join any club and I was quite content with my life, but it seemed that he thought I was becoming a hermit or something? I feel that Finns understands the beauty of silence more than Indonesians so to speak, even though on the other hand it's understandable why many people say that (in general) Indonesians are warm people, whereas Finns are rather cold.



I remember trying to find as much information about getting married and getting my paperwork sorted out before moving to Finland from a Finland forum where many expats could share anything, including useful links about how to find a job and how to write an application letter. I think it was someone from USA who wrote that article on how to write an application letter, because the writer strongly suggested that applicants must NOT brag about the things that they had done, which was something that was considered normal or even expected in the writer's home country.

I feel that the Finns love it more when people tone things down. Simplicity is considered more of a virtue here compared to grandiose. Toning down is preferable compared to selling yourself (and I don't mean selling your body, but the ability to convince people to hire you by letting them know passionately about your strengths and your experiences/abilities). I even feel that over here having the necessary papers (certificates/diplomas) is more important than however much hands-on experience and knowledge that you have learnt along the way without any papers to show. I don't know if this happened way back in the old days, but this is what I feel like for today's Finland. 


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Speaking of selling yourself, I had a very intense job interview once in Indo. There were two interviewers and I still remember clearly two of the questions. The first question was: "Sell yourself to us. What do you have? What are your strong points? Convince us to hire you!"

And when I stated the things that I considered my strength, you know what they said? They said, "Anyone else can say all the things that you've said. What else have you got to sell to us?"

Blimey! I was really cornered and I knew right then and there that I wouldn't get the job because I got stuck and it was like seeing myself stumble on a rock and falling down in slow motion he he he...

Anyway, the second question was: "Imagine yourself 5 years from now. What do you want to do then?"

That was really tough to answer because what I had in mind wasn't exactly the kind of job that I was interviewing for and I felt that they really saw through me. The only thing that made me applied for the job was the thought that I would be challenging myself and I'd be out of my comfort zone and who knows how much I could grow there. Long story short, I didn't get the job, but I appreciated the fact that they sent me an email to thank me for coming and to let me know that they had selected someone else. One expat friend of mine once told me that Finns didn't let applicants know if they don't get a job, which she found strange (probably because it was a custom in her home country).

Have you ever experienced any kind of tough job interview? If so, what happened during the interview? 

I don't remember anymore if I've shared it here or not, but this is a really beautiful talk on The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain. I bet many of you have listened to it or at least heard her name, but I'm going to listen to it again, so I'll just share it here just in case you've missed it:

Do You Miss Your Hometown?

I've been talking to some expats around the globe about this topic. I've been asked this question many times by random people and my answer these days is "no". I remember one day a customer showed a confused face after I gave that answer. But I meant what I said. No kidding. This is my home now.


Maybe some people who have so many attachments with their home country do get homesick, but I can't say that I do feel homesick these days. Don't get me wrong! In the beginning I did miss my home country, especially my family and I most definitely missed the food (at that time Finnish food felt so bland). I also missed the comfort of being in a familiar place, of having a clear safety net, of having a set of friends, of having a job. Things like that. 


As time goes by, however, life in this small village has changed me. What I find "normal" has changed. Case in point: I still remember very clearly when I came back to Indo and got frustrated because they couldn't queue properly in public toilets. In Indonesian public toilets, one just needs to stand outside whichever toilet booth one wants to, so it doesn't follow any queueing order whatsoever. So tough luck if you're standing in front of the toilet booth where the person inside is taking a long dump. I was really shocked at that time by the amount of frustration I felt. I am getting too used to life here that what I found normal when I still lived in Indonesia feels abnormal and can even feel annoying.

Another case in point: people here sometimes ask me if I have children, but they rarely ask follow-up questions. In Indonesia, even strangers you just meet won't hesitate giving their opinions concerning stuff like that. I have a friend who has decided with her husband to only have one child and one of her yoga students (an older mother) scolded her for that particular decision, saying that it was bad to only have one child bla bla bla bla bla...This person isn't even a close friend of my friend, mind you!

These days I can't even get used to the crowds anymore. Being in a crowd in very small doses is tolerable, but not in big doses. I have grown to love having so much space between myself and other people. There's a kind of stillness that doesn't exist in the big cities, the kind of relaxed attitude that is just dear to me. No traffic jams, thank you very much. I've also talked to some people who were born in small villages. They've also told me that they can't stand being in big cities because they're so used to this kind of pace and space. Their senses get overwhelmed with the noise and the crowd and the traffic jam. 


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Other than that, my taste buds have changed, so the only thing I can possibly miss is my family and friends. Nothing else. I've been wondering why it feels easy for me to unattach myself from my parents. I get along much better with my mom, but I can't say that I had a difficult relationship with my dad, either (it could get a bit rocky sometimes but not all the time). My mom helped smooth out our relationship by being the bridge between us hard-headed people and I can even say that I have a better relationship with my mom compared to many other people with their moms, but I have no problem leaving her and my dad and my brother (my brother and I have a good relationship) behind. But anyway, it sure makes my life here easier. I think if I'm too attached with my home country (the people or food or whatever it is), it will make it harder for me to live here.

If you're an expat (or even someone who's living outside of your birth city), how much do you miss your hometown? 

Magic in the Air #2

Sometimes words just can't express the magic that we've witnessed in life, so I hope this time this short video clip that I'm sharing gives you a glimpse of the kind of magic I saw last night...It was so gorgeous that I wish each of you could be there and just bask in its breathtaking beauty...

Six Years' Recap

I forgot to write a post last Friday, but then again I had work last weekend. Anyway, last Friday marked my 6th year in Finland. A LOT has happened since I first moved here. Can't believe that in summer I'll have worked in my current workplace for 3 years already!!! Of course it doesn't really feel that way 'coz I work part-time, but still time flies so fast!!!

The first time I visited Finland, I chose March due to some reasons. The first one was 'coz I wanted to see snow, but I didn't want to experience the dead of winter 'coz I knew it'd be too rough on my body if I had to go out when it was way too cold. Besides, in March there's already plenty of sunlight to enjoy compared to the dead of winter. Secondly, I wanted to celebrate R2's birthday. 

When I moved to Finland, I wanted to do it as fast as possible after our wedding in November, but alas...life had other plans for us. I was told to apply for my residence permit from Indonesia (my tourist visa application was denied), so I couldn't possibly know for sure when I'd be able to move to Finland. I was secretly hoping I could celebrate Arttu's birthday again and it did happen!!! The minute I got news that my residence permit was final already, I went to a travel agency to buy a one-way ticket to Finland. WOOOHHHOOOOOO!!!! :-D

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R2 finally got a permanent job again after I moved to Finland, so that was such a HUGE relief at that time. For me personally, the first three years were mostly adjustment, adjustment, adjustment. Learning, learning, learning. Adapting, adapting, adapting, trying to find my place, getting lost and depressed in the process...I can't say I know everything there is to know about Finland (or at least this village) yet, but at least I've gotten used to the customs here. I can't tell you how thankful I am that I'm able to be an active part of society. Never in a million years did it ever cross my mind that I would be able to get a permanent job this fast (and in such a crazy way)!!! Do you know that statistics say that in average expats get proper jobs on their fourth year in Finland?

Over the years I've met SO MANY wonderful people who've helped me along the way...many of them aren't people I know in real life, but blogger friends, so I'm also very grateful for all the encouragement and support. For their open hearts and ears, for the time they spend reading my posts...and at different training places as well as my current workplace, I've also met so many lovely people who've given me verbal support, so for that I can only say THANK YOU ALL and GOD BLESS YOU!!!

On a slightly sad note, though, our baby dream has died, BUT after having decided to surrender to life without kids, I think we've healed leaps and bounds compared to the years when we were still trying to conceive, so I call that a HUGE progress (and our marriage is still intact HALLELUJAH)! :-D Although I'm realistic enough to know that I won't be 100% healed, but being 90-99% healed is MUCH better than being 50% healed he he he...


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Anyway, when we first bought this house, we were still thinking about kids, so we have a spare bedroom. One lovely thing about having a spare bedroom is that whenever I have a very early shift after some days off (read: when I'd stay up late!!!), I can sleep in the other bedroom so that Arttu's snores won't bother me. His snores don't bother me on regular days, BUT if I'm so tensed about having to go to bed early (after having stayed up late for a few nights before then), it's harder to sleep without waking up over and over again because I'm afraid of not being able to get up in time for work, so my brain gets kinda worked up over the smallest noises (I set my mobile phone alarm to wake me up).

What else has happened? Well, my Dad has passed away, but I'm glad he didn't have to suffer long at all. Although it was hard on my family esp. that he was gone "too fast", but most people can't/don't exactly choose how they're gonna go anyway. And despite the fact that he's gone, our family has gotten bigger with the birth of my bro's first son (which R2 and I were luckily able to "witness" during our trip to Indo a few years ago) and then his second child is coming sometime this year, so it's exciting news!!! :-D

Anyway, today I just want to give THANKS to God for all the ups and downs I've experienced during the course of 6 years...thankful for this gift of life...This one's for you, My Lord!!! "Hatiku Percaya" or "My Heart Believes".

Reinventing Myself

This post below was written as a draft ages ago, but for some reason I never got to complete it and I didn't publish it, either he he...Here goes, with some additional notes...

Moving to a village in Finland has enabled me to - in a way - reinvent myself. What I mean by reinventing myself is that nobody knows my background. Nobody knows anything much about Indonesia nor what it's like to live there. Nobody knows my family. Nobody knows my family's "social strata". Nobody knows what kind of job I had beforehand and nobody has expectations for me.

It's kinda liberating, you know? I feel like so much weight is off my back. :-D Back in Indo, other people have given me different labels, but when I moved to Finland, I started my life with a blank sheet of canvas again.


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And because of the social system differences, I can be whatever I want to be without feeling that some jobs are "less than" others. Back in Indo, certain jobs are considered "less inviting" due to many different factors (mostly financial factor), whereas here in Finland no matter what kind of job you do, it doesn't matter 'coz the standard of income (among other things) is already set.

It's also liberating to know that even when you change a job here, you don't have to "suffer miserably financially" the way it'd happen in Indo. I mean, in Indo if you start all over again in a different field, you're bound to get "yucky income" and it's a no-no especially if you have kids. After all, in Indo good education that'd allow them to go to good universities that would enable them to get good jobs with good income levels is very pricy these days.

Another thing that makes me feel liberated by living here is the lack of many pressures that exist in Indo (click the link to read further info). Even though sometimes a few Finnish people (whom I don't know well) ask me whether I have kids or not, upon hearing the answer they won't continue probing about my menstrual period the way my Indo neighbour did nor ask any questions whether or not we intend to adopt nor would they give me advice about trying this and that or going to that and this gyno.

One particular "freedom" I've enjoyed thoroughly is the lack of expectation from other people from me. I can start my life from scratch and try out new jobs or training places with very little knowledge of those jobs and in doing so I've learnt so many new things. Moving to Finland has been the greatest adventure I've ever done in my life, especially for someone who "always plays it safe" like me. :-D


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Toot Toot...

Yep, you read it right. I'm going on my first bus and train trip to southern Finland on Wed next week. R2 stays home 'coz he's got work to do. MIL and I on the other hand are going down south to attend the graduation party of my nephew (MIL's 1st grandson) from High School. It's a big thing here in Finland, this kind of graduation party. Usually people put invitations on local papers that they're having this graduation party at home and this party is due on Saturday 6th (so everybody who wants to throw this party should do so on the same day). I'm gonna take some pics later on.

BIL will pick us up at the train station and take us to a cabin somewhere (never been there before), so it's gonna be fun. I've checked the weather report and it should be rather hot there starting from Wed. We'll see.

I'll only go back on Sunday night and it's gonna be a bit rough 'coz I have morning shift on Monday (but I can always sleep on the way back to Sodankylä). Good thing I only have an evening shift on Tuesday and nothing else that week, so even if I get tired, I can rest a lot the rest of the week ha ha ha ha ha...

Can't wait to goooooo!!!! I shall be scant during my trip, so I'll report about this trip only after Monday or even Tuesday two weeks from now.

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Warm and Cool?

My computer has been down due to a broken fan so I'm using R2's computer at the time being and hoping that I can get it running smoothly again soon. Yesterday my friends came over and we had so much fun - we even talked about morbid topics while laughing so much ha ha ha...Can't wait to gather with them again next week. :-D

And guess what? Today I've lived in Finland for FOUR years!!! I'm gonna apply for the citizenship on Thursday. WOOOHOOO!!! I've printed out all the necessary paperwork he he he...

Anyway, I don't want to give the wrong idea that everybody in Finland (or Sodankylä) is "warm". It's kinda hard to say whether a person is warm or not 'coz what's the standard? If I want to compare Indo people and Finnish people here in Sodankylä, then Indo people are "much warmer/friendlier" in many ways - that also means that they're much more nosier than Finnish people.

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I mean, in Indo it's very normal to drop by unannounced at somebody else's place and to ask your neighbour where he's been or where he's going to go if you happen to see him coming in or out of his place, but here? At the most we'd only say "hei" to our neighbours and talk about the weather ha ha ha...

However, the "introvert" in me kinda likes the quietness of the Finns. When I still lived in Indo, I was so used to their "warmth" and "friendliness", but now after living in Finland for 4 years, I find that some parts of Indo warmth to be "too much". I just read this Facebook status of an Indo friend who has decided to have only one child and one woman (her yoga student) insisted that one child wouldn't be enough. Duh!!! As if she'd help out pay for the child's education and help take care of the child.

Another Indo friend was once scolded by somebody (maybe a relative) in a wedding party 'coz she said that she wanted to wait before having kids.

Anyhow...before I started working in this current workplace, I did some trainings in different places. In some, I've met "cooler" people who don't smile even when you smile at them - though they do smile every once in a blue moon when the mood strikes. However, I've also met many nice people - though to be honest, there are MANY more nicer older people than the younger ones. The older people seem to be more patient and they take the time to talk to you and support you verbally, whereas the younger ones are OK, but they're not as "warm".

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I've also seen and heard about some annoying people so just like anywhere in the world there are nice and not-so-nice people here too. Anyhow...I'm just rambling here in my post hi hi...soon I've to prepare some food for hubby, so gotta go. Hope you've all been doing OK. May angels protect and comfort you all, especially those who are in trouble (such as the people in Japan).

Cultural Damage?

On Monday morning we left to Rovaniemi to spend a night there. It was on a whim that we decided to spend a night there, so there weren't many options left to find a hotel room within our budget. We stayed a night at Lapland Sky Hotel Ounasvaara (you can google it to find out where it is). It's a simple hotel with no frills, but we got a room with a sauna and the price we paid (142 Euros for the both of us) included breakfast. The other hostels in the city were fully booked and the other hotels in the city were so expensive, so we chose this one.

I feel that I've been "culturally damaged" by having lived in this small village called Sodankylä. What are the damages involved?

1. Now I'm really noise sensitive when it comes to bedtime. In Indo we lived in a small alley where there were always plenty of noise around us and then I could sleep so well even with all the noise. Now after having lived here for 4 years, I find that it's getting harder and harder to sleep when it's noisy outside (except perhaps when I'm DEAD tired).

You see, when we were about to sleep in the hotel at around midnight, some guests just started coming back and the hallway was really noisy. Our next door neighbour just came back with the whole family and they were so loud. It was hard for us to sleep and I got frustrated 'coz in the past when I still lived in Indo I could go to bed so easily even with all the noise around me.

2. Here in Sodankylä I find that my personal space is SO WIDE due to the small number of inhabitants. Wherever I go, I've never found too many people around me so I can move freely everywhere. When we went to Rovaniemi the other day, there were so many people in the mall due to tourist season and the fact that they're having big post-Christmas discounts everywhere. I've found myself feeling like wanting to shout, "Stay away from me! You're in my personal space!!!"

This is not the first time I felt something like this. I also felt it when I went to Singapore and Indonesia two years ago and last year. Too many people disturb me so easily now that I've lived here in Sodankylä. I think the longer I stay here, the harder it is for me to feel at home anywhere else - of course if I HAVE to stay somewhere else where there are many people and where it's noisy, I can always adjust to it again, but all I'm saying is that it's hard to get used to all those things after you've enjoyed the beauty of plenty of space and lack of noise around you. For me it's MUCH easier to get used to plenty of space and lack of noise after you've been surrounded by lack of space and too much noise around you.

OK, enough rambling...even though we had to pay for the hotel, I felt that it was worth it 'coz we got lovely pictures from around the hotel area. Let me share some here first and I'll continue sharing more pictures in a later post...

1st pic: Taken at around 4 pm right after we checked into the hotel. We went up the roof/deck of the hotel (there were frozen benches and tables up there - I guess they used it to eat during summer to enjoy the view). It was on a 3-storey floor. Behind me down there there was a ski lift (maybe it's not clear but you can see it in another pic which I'll post in another post).


2nd pic: Yep, the sky was really dark orange. I was amazed when I looked at the sky when we arrived at the hotel (the hotel is located a little bit up on a hill) and yes, they put some green lamps around the area and I found it weird to look at green trees he he...


3rd pic: Another shot of the sunset.


4th pic: I took this pic after we had our breakfast, at around 10.00 am. The sun was just about rise. I went up to the deck again and I was amazed when I looked around me. I'll upload some videos later on, as well.


5th pic: Another shot from up the deck. You can see the ski lift operating room down there.


6th pic: I went down again and found a path leading away from the hotel and I took pictures from there.


7th pic: The actual sky didn't have purplish hue, but I LOVE this pic anyway. It was more blue and white, though the orangey/pinkish hue in the previous photo was real. I feel like the trees are "sighing due to the weight of the snow" he he he...


OK, I have to go to work soon, so to be continued. Not sure when I'll post again 'coz I have an evening shift today and tomorrow a morning shift and I may go straight to my MIL's place to celebrate New Year there together, but I'll be back (if God still gives me breath HA HA HA HA HA...). Take care, people, and have a BLESSED New Year!!! Hopefully next year is better than this year! :-D

The Forgotten Videos

I took these videos last week and I had forgotten to upload them he he he he...so enjoy Winter Wonderland in Lapland, Finland...

The first one is the video of the area across the street from my in-laws' house in Kelujärvi, Finland.



This second one is the video of the frozen lake area in front of in-laws' cabin - you can see the cabin at the end of the clip.



This third video was taken a few weeks ago. My BIL was doing some hard work with a tractor, trying to clean up the snow from the path towards the frozen lake 'coz he wanted to spend a night at the cabin he he he...




Hope you enjoy the video clips!!! Time to do some baking experiment he he he...

Culture and Life

The other day a friend and I talked a bit about the global economic crisis. She (a full-time mom) lives in Japan with two young kids (she's Indo, her husband is Japanese). She said that nowadays they wouldn't allow her hubby to work overtime. She said it felt weird to have him back home already at 6 pm. Due to that fact, as well, they have to tighten their belt since the family's income is not as much as it used to.

In Finland, I find myself missing hubby when he works overtime. Overtime = when he doesn't come home at 4 pm. I don't think overtime is a common thing here in Finland, which is actually good. That means the hubby has more time with their families (well, hopefully they spend that time with their families).

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I must admit, though, that after living here for 2 years, I'm getting used to everything here, so I kinda "forget" what it was like in Indo. Deep down I know how tough it is to live in a culture where working overtime is considered "loyalty", especially if you're high up in the company's ladder.

I know one friend's hubby who worked in Indo who used to go home around 10 pm or even midnight on most days. Sometimes he also had to go to meetings on a Sunday and there was no way he could have said no (and he worked on Saturdays too until 6 pm or even later than that). If he had always come back home on time and he refused to go on meetings, he would probably have gotten sacked right away and there would be MANY others in Indo who would do anything to get his job.

Here in Finland if you work on a Saturday or Sunday, then you'll get even MUCH more money that way...but in Indonesia, I don't think in many companies you'll get a good amount of overtime money (that's IF you get any overtime money at all!). Here in Finland if R2 has done overtime many times, he can take that time to get a short holiday from work, but can Indo people do that? No, Sirrrrrrr...unfortunately not.

Another Indo friend who's now been living in the Netherlands said that people there would think you were weird if you kept on working overtime, since it's just not the culture.

And what about the paid holiday in Finland? In Indonesia I've never heard of such a thing. Plus here in Finland the yearly holiday is MORE than reasonable IMO, because after working full-time in a place for a year, you'll get a some PAID holiday (read the notes section below this paragraph) In Indo, normally a person only gets around 12 days of UNPAID holiday per year.

Notes (I copied it based on Jamppa's comment): Holiday season starts from April and ends in March and you get 2 days for summer holiday per each done month. So if you start work on firm XX on first day on July (e.g 2008), you'll get 18 days holiday on first summer (2009). In this case it starts from July and stops to March. It stops always in March, cause April is first holiday month and in this case next summer holiday is full 2days*12month= 24 days which is full summer holiday (2010).. from April to March.

Other than that, in Indo it's hard to get a long sick leave. Here in Finland I think it's a pretty common and acceptable thing. At least I know one person who took a sick leave for at least 6 months and she still has her job. In Indo, if you're sick for more than a month, I think there's a fat chance that you're going to be able to continue working there.

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I also see a similar trend of cultural differences in terms of education. Since education in Indonesia isn't really standardized, so if you don't go to good schools, it's going to be hard for you to get a good job. Also a friend told me that she felt that the curriculum in many schools in Indo are now too stressful for kids, 'coz they try to teach the kids SO MANY subjects already since a young age. And if you go to a good private school, then you'll get tough homework, as well.

The bad thing about having such a stressful curriculum is that the kids will lose their playtime after school 'coz they must have private or group lessons so that they can catch up with the other kids. I remember that one student of mine used to complain about having to go to many different kinds of private lessons: English, Chinese, Swimming, Math. These type of lessons are sometimes done twice a week for an hour per session, so can you imagine how busy they are?

Here in Finland kids go to school at the age of 7. I once read an article that they want to let kids to play first and enjoy their childhood before they study at a real school. Another friend from my Finnish classes (who goes to a High School here) told me that in her opinion, the education system in Finland isn't too difficult or stressful. I don't know about that, but at least I've never heard of any private tutors here in Finland, unlike those in Indo (private tutors in Indo can earn really good money due to the high demands of them, especially these days as the school curriculum is getting more and more difficult).

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It's very interesting to talk about this topic. One Indo friend (a mother of two kids) once joked to me, "Hey, look at us! We didn't go to any international schools and our monthly school fee was pretty low back then and we only started learning English when we were in Junior High School (as opposed to these days where English is taught in some preschools and most elementary schools) , but don't you think we've turned out quite okay?"

I laughed.

Such is life. To succumb or not to succumb to society's pressure, that is the question. I think it's pretty tough to fight the "mainstream, the-what's-acceptable-according-to-public". But dunno...what do YOU think, readers???

P.S. I find that some of the things that I used to find "common/normal/accepted" have changed ever since I moved to Finland.

Home, Ex-Home, Future Home?

Chocolate Girl (Livingsword's wife) wants to know how I felt when coming back to Finland after our trip to Indonesia and how I feel about all the snow here.

Well, to be honest, I was HOPING that I'd get to see snow already when I landed in Rovaniemi airport. Why? Because I knew that it would be dark most of the time already and it's only going to get darker and darker (nowadays the sun rises around 8.30 am and sets around 3.15 pm so we have only around 6 hours and 40 minutes of sunshine per day, provided that the sun is shining and it's not cloudy), so having snow around would help A LOT. Thank GOD snow started to fall the day after we arrived in Finland and it kept on snowing and it didn't melt and turn to ice. I have no problem with snow, but I'm VERY afraid of icy snow!

It felt slightly weird coming back to Lapland from a tropical country, since I was used to three weeks of sunshine and heat, but it felt GOOD to be home, to have our own privacy, to be able to do anything we want without having to think of planning our schedule to meet these relatives and those friends, buying these and those, etc.

Home...mentally I've named Indonesia as my ex-home. I LOVE Indonesia, but right now my home is where R2 is. I've learnt to love Finland, but if for example God takes him away now when we have no kids and I don't know yet what kind of job I want to do here, maybe I'll go back to Indonesia since I've got family and friends there and I know what kind of job I want to do and can do there.

Life is unpredictable and I don't want to be too hard-headed in anything. There's no guarantee yet that Finland will be my home forever, but of course everything changes if there are kids already. I'd want to be there for them, at least until they're grown up and they're ready to be on their own.

Yep, these are just my ramblings about hypothetical situations. I sure hope that God gives us PLENTY more healthy years to come, especially since I haven't lived long enough with R2 in the same country or house.

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All in all, I'm not missing Indonesia, except my family and friends and the glorious food. I started crying the day I was supposed to leave Bandung by bus to go to Cengkareng airport since my SIL called me from the hospital to say goodbye. She thanked me for everything and she said sorry for not being able to escort me. I started choking and I couldn't say the words I wanted to say to her for fear of crying so loudly on the phone. I didn't want to make her feel sad.

My brother managed to meet us at the mall where the bus station was to hug me goodbye. My uncle took us there since my parents have no car now, so in the car there were my uncle, my Mom, me, R2, and my Mom's elder sister. My uncle said to my Mom's elder sister that they'd better escort my Mom for fear that she'd cry. One close friend of mine also escorted me there.

When we started hugging one by one, I almost couldn't stop my tears from falling...while waiting for the bus, my SIL called again to say goodbye and I felt choked again. When I got on the bus and sat down, I started crying, though I tried to control myself so that I wouldn't sob loudly. R2 gazed into my eyes and he rubbed my arm and pat my hand. It was impossible for him to hold me due to the seats and the fact that we have backpacks right between our legs, so that was all that he could do.

After I could control myself a bit, I stood up from inside the bus to give them one last wave of goodbye...I feel SO LOVED...my whole trip in Indonesia was showered with LOVE...I'm GRATEFUL to God who've given me SO MANY loving, caring, attentive, and understanding people. I'm GRATEFUL for my relatives who care SO much for my Mom that they're always trying to make things easier for her. I LOVE THEM ALL!!!!

OK, let me stop here as I'm getting more and more emotional...

Home...let's just see where God takes me to...I'll do my best to make the most of everything He's entrusted to me this moment...

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Squirrel Video Clips

Two video clips of the squirrel I mentioned in my previous post.

Here are the links to youtube in case you want to watch it in high quality (to those of you with broadband internet access, that is) - don't forget to click on the "watch in high quality" right underneath the clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtJ84-8uLqU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWArnEiKb9I

The thing is, the difference between the normal quality clips and the high quality ones is HUGE he he he...

But if you wish to see the normal quality clips, here they are:

Speed Warning + Camera

For some of you, these following two pics are a common sight. For an Indonesian girl like me, they're pretty interesting to see. Around downtown Sodankylä, there are no such a thing as a speed warning and speed camera. When we went to Southern Finland last July, we put on our GPS system and every now and then the female voice warned us, "Warning! Warning!" when we were about to come across the speed camera or when our speed was a little bit over the required speed.

First pic: here comes the warning sign that a speed camera is about to be seen not farther away from this spot.

Second pic: Here's the pic of the speed camera. If you're over the limit, it'll immediately take a picture of your car and then you'll get a bill about the speeding ticket later on in your mailbox. Ugh!!! No no no...a speeding ticket bill here costs around €160-180 if I'm not mistaken.YIKES!!!

Arktikum and Santa Park

Had fun in Arktikum and Santa Park with my classmates and teacher today. There were only 4 of us coming since the trainee got sick, so she didn't come with us. Thus I didn't try buying any Chinese food since I didn't know which one would be good enough to taste he he he...Never mind that, though, since after all I'm going back to Indo and I'll have PLENTY of Asian food later. Yum yum...

I'd actually been wanting to go to Arktikum for a while now, but I knew Arttu wouldn't be interested in going. That's why this course is VERY useful for me since it's also teaching us the cultural parts of Finland (as well as taking me to touristy places HA HA HA HA...). Plus the best part of all is that we didn't have to pay any entrance fee tickets HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO...

The bad thing about the trip today was that we weren't allowed to take any pics inside the many interesting exhibitions in Arktikum, but it was a VERY interesting place to be. At least that's what I think. I've never seen such an interesting museum with many different interesting exhibitions. If you want to visit Rovaniemi, make sure you go to Arktikum, will you? HE HE HE HE HE...

I was fascinated by some exhibitions where I could watch a short movie on Finnish pics and where I could see imitations of real-size bears, reindeer, ringed seal, and different animals that looked SO real. We could also listen to different types of animals' sounds by pressing a button he he he...That was FUN!!! ;-D

Here are some pics of the building...




Below is a picture of me and our teacher. :-D


Below is a pic of me with the skin of a ringed seal.


I really like the rooftop of Arktikum HE HE HE HE HE...



Then we went downtown to browse around the stores there. We split up and met again at a specified place two hours later. Oh, almost forgot, before we split up, our teacher, me, and the French guy had lunch at a cafe in a mall. Funny thing was that when we asked how much it cost to have lunch there, we were told that the price would depend on how much we took in grams. The price included the buffet lunch (there were 5 types of food to pick) and or salad and water or milk.

Mine cost around €6.25 in total, which wasn't too bad. After all, it would be even worse if we had to pay around €8 (the usual price for lunch buffet) and I couldn't even eat that much he he he...This way I only paid as much as I ate, which was good. ;-D

After that we went to Santa Park and we met Santa himself. But before that, I took some pics around the place he he he...Wonder why we're still dressed warmly? Because in Sodankylä it's around 0'C today and when we arrived in Rovaniemi, it was around 6'C but then it dropped down to around 3'C and then it started snowing. It's also snowing in Sodankylä as I'm typing this he he he...











Then we went inside Santa's Office (in the above pic, I was standing right in front of it) and met Santa. It was quite an interesting place, though we couldn't take any pics with our own cameras inside. However, they did offer a photo service. Yup, this place is really commercialized HA HA HA HA HA...

Santa himself was a pretty funny guy. ;-D We talked for a little while, then we took our pics and then when we got out of his office and went into the souvenir store, we could watch the video of our meeting with Santa HA HA HA HA HA HA...

We could choose a few options to buy the pics. In the end we choose this type of pic (we paid €30 to get 5 exact same pics along with the card), so each of us didn't have to pay too much. *GRIN*





Then the last pic I took was this...I wanted SO BADLY to show my face in Santa's place...unfortunately I was too short LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL!!!! Hubby laughed at me when I told him about this. GRRRRRRRRRRRRR he he he he he he...but I love him anyway HE HE HE HE HE...


So, that's the end of this post. I wonder how everybody's doing, but right now I'm tired, so I think I may blog-hop only tomorrow evening he he he...Hope you'll have a BLESSED weekend, everybody!!!

Gold Rush

The trip to the Gold Museum went fine, though it was COOOOOLLLLDDDD since the area had SO MUCH snow still for some reason. We arrived at the wrong end of the museum at first, but then we managed to go to the right one HA HA HA HA...The firm who organizes our course paid for the taxi rent and the entrance fee, so we didn't have to pay a thing. We arrived there at around 10 am and there was a guide who explained many things to us in Finnish.

The museum also boasts many different pictures and mining tools from different countries as well as the copies of the big gold nuggets found in some areas in the world. The biggest gold nugget found accidentally in Australia is called "Welcome Stranger". Do you know how heavy it is? It's 72 kg. *GRIN*

OK, now let me just share some pics with you, shall we?

First pic: This is the information board about Tankavaara Gold Museum.


Second pic: The woman on the right is our guide. Our teacher's the one with purple pipo (woolen hat).


Third pic: Me, a friend, and our teacher. ;-D


Fourth pic: Me again. ;-D


Fifth pic: One of the tools that the miners used back then.


Sixth pic: One of the paintings on the wall.


Seventh pic: Look at the B/W picture next to my female friend. The dark "dots" you see there are PEOPLE climbing up to the mountain post. They each had to bring around 800 kg of tools and equipment and food and clothes to the post as beyond the mountain was a harsh, uninhabited place. And the wooden sled in the picture is the miniature of the sled they used to carry their stuff up the mountain. Click on the picture to see a larger version of it. ;-D


These three pictures below were taken when the guide showed us how to pan the gold. In summer, guests can pan their own gold outside for a price. Since it was still cold, the guide just showed us how to do it inside the museum. Well, I don't think you can get much gold even if you try panning it outside, anyway he he he he...probably just tiny gold "dust" just like in the third picture below.




Can you see the gold "dust"????? Click on the pic to enlarge he he...


This pic below is the replica of the school near the mine in the old days.


Surprisingly enough, after the tour was over inside the Gold Museum, we went outside and found this outdoor museum. There are some replicas of buildings from several gold rush centres around the world.




This one below is a house made of bottles HA HA HA HA HA...


Then we also visited a Stone Museum which was located very near the Stone Museum. The Stone Museum building was VERY cold, though. Here I found very interesting shapes of stones.

Look at the below pic. There's this "mushroom-looking stone" there he he he...CUTE!!!


And look at this beauty!!! ^___________________________^


And here I am with MY HUGE diamonds HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...*wink*




As a souvenir, I bought this bottle of gold flakes. It cost me €6, but hey, it looks VERY nice, don't you think so?


While we were waiting for the taxi to come pick us up, we found a reindeer in captivity near that area, so we ventured closer to it as I had never had a good close-up picture of a reindeer before.


LUCKILY for us, the reindeer came even CLOSER to us!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!! My Thai friend threw some bread to it and it ate the bread HA HA HA HA HA...Apparently they eat just about everything! Geez...

I have another classmate whose hubby's a reindeer man and she's got many reindeer. She said that two reindeer of hers LOVED DOG FOOD!!! The dog was obviously mad since the reindeer ate his food, but what could he do? After all, he was MUCH smaller than the reindeer HA HA HA HA HA...





And I managed to capture a short video clip of this reindeer HE HE HE HE HE...