10 CULTURE SHOCKS | FINLAND | NOMAD LIFE | PART 1
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- Опубліковано 20 чер 2024
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I'm a Texas girl who lived in Finland for 4 years. It was an experience that impacted my life. In this video I share 10 things that were a bit of a shock to me. Having lived in the USA all my life it definitely took time to adjust to life there. This is Part 1. In Part 2 I will share 10 more things I found to be challenging.
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If you enjoyed this video check out Part 2 here:
ua-cam.com/video/Mwe5UJa7H_A/v-deo.html
Thank you for watching! Please leave me your feedback. If there is any content you’d like to see let me know!
www.boredpanda.com/finnish-nightmares-introvert-comics-karoliina-korhonen/? < finnish nightmares xD
P. A. Pölhönen I love the Finnish Nightmares comics! 😄
When you said you don't know what Finland is I just thought it's the new world champion of ice hockey
ikurauta haha.... CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! Go FINLAND 🇫🇮🎉🎊🍾
Thanks I'm doing research on my bloodline roots way back and your info here, is a mighty fine help as u may notice mam I'm also from Texas area.
In Finland, we have this thing called "comfortable silence".
KKeijoable I think it’s only awkward to people not used to it. But since it’s normal there it makes sense that it’s a comfortable silence. Thanks for watching!! Greetings from Texas ✌🏼❤️
And kalsarikänni
*It's the same in Germany , greeting is okay, but asking more is crossing the line to a more private conversation. For this you have to be some kind of a friend.*
@@NicholasCorvin How does anyone ever become friends if no ones allowed to ask for more? 🤔
@@crazitaco Alcohol, sports, work and hobbies… did I mention alcohol already? Only Place I have personally encountered Small talk from other Finns have been in Sauna or heavily intoxicated. A swedish comedian had short skit of finnish stages of drunkness.
As a European, I'm shocked you never take your shoes off :O
Off course they do not take shoes off in Presidential Palace, but it is a courtesy, you do not bring dogshit in my place. I wont. Besides it brings homeliness. And in case you can ask slippers! Ask the Japanese and there are more than 30 times of them...
You obviously haven't been to (south) France.
In the Nordic countries it is customary to wipe your shoes well and then take them off. Hey polar winter lots of slush going in and out with or with out of it.
Beside, in Finland you never know where friend is comming, from farm , forest, sailing, hunting that is why one of Gods little Angel invented Slippers! OK. With all geared up fluffy seal shoes do not match. Sorry cultural mistakes. Before we move Faraö Islands into iglo, then you learn what outhouse means:-)
Truly agree! They might also sleep in bed with their shoes on?
I work in Finland in a very international faculty. You'll hear lots of animated conversations in the coffee room, in many different languages. And in the corner, our two maintenance guys, both Finns, completely silent, sat across a table from each other but both staring off into space. Their mugs go up together. Their mugs go down together. And up together. And down together. This, apparently, is how you can tell that they're best buddies.
I think "finns really dont like small talk" doesnt mean taking contact with people. we just dont discuss meaningless stuff
Only when its hockey then we go all out brother !
Sounds like people I’d like to be around.
I envy you.
The point of small talk is to get to know people. Asking what people’s favorite things, are usually the main part.
finland is the best country
i love finland and i wanna live there i am really impressed by them the people, education and much more i am really impressed.
Speaking of Finnish practicality, this video is long, let me help:
02:14 No shoes inside
03:56 Don't greet strangers
05:29 Bring your own bag
07:55 Finnish silence
12:23 Punctuality
13:30 Sales tax included in listed prices
15:36 Everything is compact
18:39 No ceiling fans
19:37 Constant darkness (in the winter... and light in the summer)
21:07 The way of communication in Turku (fun fact, in many other places the Finns tend to joke that Turku is not a part of Finland, but an exclave of Sweden. Hehe.)
Hope this helps.
Just what i was looking for. Thänks
I wish I saw your comment before 😥
Thanks. I gave up after number 1
Only if the video was compact aswell :D
Most people in the other cities in the region say Turku would be a great city if not for the people living there.:D
Small talk is way more akward than silence :D
Asking how are you but not being interested really and not really expecting an answer. Whats up with that😁
awkward*
And If it is just weather talk :D
@@maple494 akward silent letters :P
small talk can be a way to achieve the "smallest common nominator" and get a _feeling_ of the other ones' thoughts and feelings before moving into more serious discussions ....
In Finland if a meeting starts at 9:00, it implies that everyone is there by 8:55 so everything is ready when the meeting starts :D
Honestly it is the same way here in Texas. You can't be late to work meetings, doctor appointments, etc. It's really rude.
@@Mesuraion1 that just has to be universal good habbit, not related to any spesific country
That explains a lot of things about my grandpa who’s half finnish
Risto Paasivirta As portuguese that sounds dreamy
And before the meeting starts there is complete silence
Sounds like an introvert's paradise. I want to move there.
Yes it is
feel free
Neil Marsh welcome, we have plenty of space.
Finland is the home of the introverts! Coming from a Finnish introvert girl.
No tule! Täällä ei tarvitse sano edes moi :)
Shoes are like prison for your feet. Let them roam free.
mr.ak111 YES! Omg Yes!! I’m barefoot any and every chance I get!
mr.ak11 Shoes or feet? Or both?
Free-range shoes!
@@pohjanmies6928 Pitäskö siun opetella tavaamaan lontoota.
@@mr.ak1113 "Kengät ovat kuin vankila jaloillesi. Anna niiden vaeltaa vapaana" eli sama vitsi toimii myös suomeksi, jos kysyn: "Jalkojen vai kenkien?"
Finland having smaller houses compared to Texas is probably a lot to do with average temperatures. Heating big houses would be insanely expensive during cold time of year. It's way better to have small and warm apartment than big and cold one. If everyone in Finland would have Texas-size houses it would require absolute insane amounts of energy per person.
Teemies That’s so true! Again... practicality! Love it! Thanks for watching! ✌🏼❤️
I live in a two story traditional finnish farmhouse that is abt 100squaremeter living space inside.
The house is 70 or more years old.
----
you find all kind of houses in finnland, but naturally not so much in urban places like turku...
Its a matter of money, you have the cash? sure you can live in a large house - they exist.
Usually larger families use those, not young couples.
All is relative.
If you would leave the urban area and go to the rural area, you would also see more pickups nowadays - practicality dictates what people drive. Many drive a van, because its even more practical than a picup.
Does it project your manhood as good? probably not - perhaps if you mount cowhornes in the front?
but finnland is not a bout status symbols, intimidation, martial appearances... its just practicality, and farmers and forest workes love pickups as they are perfect to carry around the diesel pump for their machinery.
zoolkhan I love that about Finland ❤️ thank you for watching!
Heating cost + building cost. Building a low energy, well insulated house is much more expensive per area than a house in warmer climate.
@@zoolkhan Yep, pretty much everyone with an excavator or forrest machine, which is a lot of people on the countryside nowadays, use a pickup truck.
I’m from finland, and when I was 12, I decided to start smiling more at random ppl bc I saw a video about how smiling makes you more approachable or something, so I smiled at some man I saw on my way to school, and he literally growled at me. I never smiled at strangers again
Oh no! 😯
Kyl muaki ärsyttäis jos joku alkaa murisee mul kun mä hymyilen niille
@@yeetusdeletus7043 sama
@Kullervo lmao
LMAO POOR YOU I've started doing this and I've luckily made some people smile back. No one has growled at me at least ... yet.
But my version is more twisted, it's like, I DARE you to look at me in the eyes stranger. And if they don't look, I win. If they do we both win. My halvat huvit :DDD
If you ask a Finn about his day he/she might tell the whole story about it or say little to nothing.
Yup, that depends a lot on the person and how comfortable that person is with you asking it.
Yes true. And if Usa people ask i just start telling my fight with girlfriend etc just to make clear its stupid to ask if you dont care
One of the reasons why I (born German) feel I should have been born here, I do exactly the same. If you don't want to know how I feel today, then don't ask.
I am like this but am Canadian and never knew any finnish ppl, or anyone else like this. I just AM this way.
Apparently I have very distant finnish ancestry tho so maybe my literalness and purposefullness, honesty, directness, comfortable silence, and hatred of small talk bkuz it's meaningless and boring, snuck through somehow. :')
I feel like finnish ppl are my peeps like omg there's a country FULL of ppl who would actually GET ME??!! How magical!! :')
@@CaptainAMAZINGGG Your comment resonated with me. I'm a Finn who immigrated to Canada over 30 years ago. As much as I think I've changed into Canadian ways there is always that Finnish honesty, directness and dislike of small talk that has never left me. I feel I'm very fortunate to have been born into a safe, clean, good country and them immigrated to another safe, clean, good country. I'm fluent in both languages and love both countries. Don't let your Finn-in-you go, keep being honest and blunt. It's served me well in my life in Canada. Be proud to be you, calling it as you see it.
Some finnish conversation: Kiva keli: "Nice weather" (its actually pouring rain). - Älä. "You dont say". (Continued by 10 minutes of silence)
This is actually so common in Finland
Finnish social comfort zone: 3 km from neighbour :D
"Toi mökki/talo on mukava, mut naapurit on liian lähellä."
In englesh: "I really like this house, but neighbors are too close." 😂😂😂
That is great weather if you are a duck
@@aardvark8127 That is true😂😂
Bring your own bag is an European thing. Stores here agreed to not offer free plastic bags anymore to protect the environment. This goes for every European country I have visited
I think it's a EU directive. Not sure, but I recall something liek dat. In my country they have never been free!
Yeah, I've never been to a country that dosen't do this.
Finland used to have free plastic bags at stores. Especially when buying something other than groceries (e.g. clothes, electronics), a plastic bag was free of charge until very recently. I think it is a good principle to eliminate waste, and not just from the environmental point of view. Charging for bags is just a small step towards that goal.
@@mikaelviitala833 but some stores still give them out for free :(
It's very common now in the USA cities that grocery stores don't provide free bags. You have to buy them at the store or bring your own.
The no shoes in the house rule is almost everywhere around the world apart form the U.S.A. So I think that the idea of wearing shoes inside the house is a bigger culture shock for majority of people. So funny 😃
In Scotland, it really depends on the person. Most people don't care what you do but if people have a very clean house and are very adamant about it, they will say shoes off at the door lol. There is only one person i know like that and that was my sister but it was when she had just had my niece she was worried about something like glass coming in and the baby hurting herself.
So nice to hear of you! I was your teacher in Finland.
Erkilmarl Hiii! Thank you for saying hi here in the comments! I have thought of you several times and wondered if you might stumble across this or any of my videos about Finland. I’m so grateful for having you as my teacher. You did a great job!
@@jonashjerpe7421 so unnecessary
We have those long silences during phone calls too
Elli Taylor
Wow! Thanks for watching!
@@WildwoodVagabond thank you for making such a good video! I enjoyed all of it ♥️ it's really interesting to hear what forgeiners think about Finnish things. Also, I learned more about Texas! So cool
Elli Taylor that’s awesome!
yes we do and its weird :D
Which is why oldfashioned radio-telegrams, where you had to pay per word were much more suited for finns.
(i am morse-operator, so i had to bring that up.. sorry)
Being silent together is a sign of trust. Wolves dont howl unless theres a reason.
So that means the fins regret the only thing what differentates them from animals. Are they animals?
@@annas.2141 I am :)
Animal living man wonder!
@@annas.2141 Animal living man wonders
@@jaakko5208 Manbearpig
There's a joke about Finnish personality. They say you can always tell an extroverted Finn because he's looking at someone's else's shoes, not his own.
David Lonergan haha 😂
Rachael: 'In Finland, people do not normally make the first initial step.'
Me: 'How do they meet other people then?'
Finn: 'Why do you think there are so few of us?'
when stranger comes up to me and want to talk i always assume hes trying to rob me
Esk59 hahaha
Bum a cigarette, too.
Esk59 That might be true especially if they are salespersonnel.
Get the garbage out of your pocket
this dude was in a bus, just jamming to some music
me and my parents automatically assumed he was insane or sumthing xD
You might also go to a friends place and just talk about things that actually matter. Unimportant small talk is like poison for us.
Oskari S. Small talk is so superficial!! And boringggggg
@@WildwoodVagabond - you deserve praise for actually realizing that
it is not rudeness, but a form a maybe weird finnisch honesty code.
It is almost lying to perform this "how do you do exchange and smile"-ritual
while not really meaning it.
That would be feeeling like a lie to us, its dishonest behaviour.
We avoid lying, and we are happy if we are not forced to talk about shit that happened to us
causing us to be sad. The moment you ask "how do you do" we would be forced to answer with a lie - or spill out our private guts - and both we dont like doing - and with people we dont know even less so.
zoolkhan Wow! You’re so right! I never thought about it like that. But it makes so much sense because Finns are honest and genuine! Thanks for watching!
I hate small talk, should I move to finland ? lol. I hate those fake scripted conversations.
Kay LoL... sounds like you’d fit right in in Finland! Thanks for watching ❤️
1. I can imagine how dirty the floors and everything would get if no one took their shoes of. Never mind it's disrespectful.
2. You say "Hi" and "Thank you" to the cashier.
3. There are no free plastic bags in the region of EU.
4. Akward silence is not akward, It is comfortable silence. Btw introverted and shy aren't connected. Shyness actually comes out of extroversy.
5. Be on time or be early but not late.
6. 65 square meters? That's pretty good size one bedroom flat. Might call it even big.
Dirty floors? Even without dirt and sand to the eye, how about the diseases and bacterias which will come inside if your not taking your shoes off.
When I was in Italy (also understood that in some other sandal shoe countries as well) I was admiring the small "sink" near toilet seat where you could was your feet.
So the point: smell is less bad from socks than dirt and sand which will always walk at the end to the bed or the flu or some other sickness from bacteria at the bottom of your shoes.
My flat in Romania is 53 m^2 usable space and actually has 3 rooms, decent sized (3 by 4, 4 by 5 meter). The tradeoff is tiny kitchen and bathroom. 67 m^2 is a large, expensive apartment
KK89 can you please explain to me how shyness comes from extroversy I’m genuinely interested
@@miikkakorpiranta Exactly - why would you want to contaminate your house with all the spit, vomit and feces that may stick to your shoes while walking outdoors? Maybe Americans drive cars everywhere and don't walk that much but still you can pick up bad shit outside the house.
@@classyhistoricalsewing i mean we have bidet shower (for poop) so it's difficult for feets. So that's way I was admiring your bidet sink. See: images.app.goo.gl/FLqHe8BhUDya52se9
My son married a Finn almost 6 years ago, and when we finally visited in 2018, I thought, "I must live here someday." Every single video I watch about the "culture shocks" of Finland pushes me more to live there. Thank you for sharing. You're right on the nose about many of the things I experienced when my daughter and I visited, and we both simply loved the country and felt so safe. I honestly did not have one moment where I feared for my safety. Nothing like here in the US, I'm sorry to say. I can't wait to return to Finland again. On to your Part 2!
As aSwede this makes me realize how many similarities we have with our eastern neighbors
And the "awkward" silence is AMAZING lol, you can have such comfortable silence with some people! Says a true scandinavian person xD
maccifyme That’s cool! It’s makes sense that there would be similarities since it’s so close! Thanks for watching! Greetings from Texas ❤️✌🏼
Finnland is a nordic country like Sweden...
@@Mememusik Yeah thanks I'm well aware
maccifyme But Finland isn’t a part of Scandinavia.
65m2 apartment??? That's huge!!! My apartment is 14m2 :D Torilla tavataan
ouuo P wow!!
Idk, thats pretty reasonable for 2 people
wsed182 there were 3 of us at the time. And it only seemed cramped because I was used to the spacious places I’d lived in before. Nowadays that would feel spacious. I live in more than half that size now. Thanks for watching!
@@wsed182 You missed my joke. My apartment is tiny and everything is relative.
14m2??? That is small, and I am also from Finland. It is smaller than my room in a student apartment
I actually like the small talk despite being finnish, it really makes my day to hear someone care about how my day is going, it's dark enough weatherwise, so some person can really be that sunshine and just break the habit of silence.
As a Finn, I honestly don't care about some strangers life. Even if I forced myself to ask those meaningless questions, I probably would look visibly bored while the other person answers or not.
@@teoleno4019 sehän on oikee kiva.
> Everything is smaller in Finland
well, a meter is bigger than a foot at least :)
But a mile is longer than a km
@SoulApprentice Huuh? "Since 1959 it is by international agreement standardized as exactly 0.9144 meters"
Kilogram is a lot bigger than ounce :D but then the pound, uh bigger than gram? :)
Dang, and they fuel their cars with those huge gallons of gasoline instead of our tiny litres... :D
@@johnraina4828 THIS is why that system make 0 sense.
The bags cost is there partly to make people more conscious of the plastic waste and excess. Even if it is only a little bit, when you have to pay for it, you will use as few bags as you can.
Also we pay a lot of attention to the quality of the plastic bags, so that many of them are biodegradable/burnable and made of recycled materials.
Even when I worked for Lapland Safaris few years ago, I was so impressed how much importance the company put on green values wherever possible. During the safaris, one important part of our job as a guide, was to make sure we don't leave any waste in the nature and that we take away all the trash we brought with us. Not only this, at every possible opportunity, we tried to educate the customers why this is important and why we did it, even when we didn't have to.
All in all, us Finns generally like to follow rules, especially if they make sense. If they don't, someone obviously made a mistake, and we contact someone responsible for it, and make a suggestion for improvement. When I lived in Japan, this first part made Japanese rules and laws easy to fit in, but the latter part made me stand out in a really bad way, and got me into a lot of trouble. In there, improvement suggestions were not welcome, no matter how much sense they made xDD
Punctuality is only important in business. With friends people already know who is going to be late, and plan that in mind, so it isn't a big deal. Also, if you inform even 1 minute before the agreed time that you will be running late, and especially if you have a good reason (like being lost, forgetting something, traffic or something reasonable like that), at least no one I know would mind at all. But this could be a lot different the closer to the SW coast you get.
Far worse is, if you say you will come/do something without ever intending to follow up on that. Ofc, we do make an exception to any promise made under the influence of alcohol, and I for one, never hold anyone to any promise they made while drunk.
ps. Don't worry about not getting that Turku "humor", the rest of the Finland doesn't get it either ;P
Santtu Kähkönen I love your comment! What you shared is so interesting! I didn’t know they had safaris in Lapland. That’s awesome. It sounds like you have had a very interesting and colorful life. Thank you for taking the time to share those things! Thanks for watching! Greetings from Texas! ❤️✌🏼
@@WildwoodVagabond I usually just buy bag and use it later as trash bag.. why the fuck not ?
While I can see and appreciate the plastic waste and ocean pollution aspect to it , the VAST majority of the plastic in the ocean comes from 10 rivers in Africa, Southern Asia, China, and the Phillipines. The West aren't responsible for the problem (as much.)
@@WhatDayIsItTrumpDay sooo... Do you mean we should not recycle?
@@succ448 This is one of main reasons I think the bags we use are biodegradable/burnable, it helps with the recycling and post-processing of the waste when used as trash bags, which most of us do
Hearing all this, seems the Americans do things in the most impractical way possible :D
DroogieSouls that’s what it feels like to me after living in Finland 4 years lol 😄 thanks for watching!
Indeed. They have to learn some new ways....
Live your life like finns do, and save the world
Yeah. For example not to think that buying your own bag is ridiculous.
Diaper Brownie But is the world worth saving if everyone just stands in the snow at the buss stop not talking :-)
65 m²? Holy smokes, that's a big apartment! My current apartment is 28 m²
HOW IS 65 SQUARE METERS SMALL THAT'S HUGE
Sincerely, a finn
Sheesh! Here in the US average houses are over 1,000 sq ft.
I know, my first apartment was about 28 square meters. My apartment now is 49 square meters and apartment before this was 32 square meters and I feel like this 49 is huge apartment. Sincerely, a finn.
@ExantheKitty I love your profile picture. You look gorgeous.
@@anu83 thank you, yeah I got really lucky with mine and have 45 the plan of it makes it feel way smaller but I know the average first apartment is around 20-25
As a mexican (our houses are big but not as in the US) I consider the European house size extremely small. I would go crazy in 25m2.
My first apartment in Helsinki was 29m2. It was small but well-designed,cosy, warm and clean. 65m2 is spacious!
What is the point of wearing shoes inside? I just can't understand.
Cold floor, not same standard on houses.
DG if you speak finnish read this: jos pitää kenkiä sisällä nii kaikki se lika tulee sisälle ja jos hikoilee kengän sisältä nii sillon se on vaa ällöttävää. if you speak english read this: if you keep your shoes inside then all the dirt comes inside and if you sweat inside the shoe then it’s just gross.
Yeah, and If you have carpeted floors in your house... Just imagine the dirt and other stuff on the carpet, what you can't vacuum or clean. On the topic of floors in Finland, vinyl flooring is the thing of past, or atleast I've seen vinyl on older houses/appartments, newer houses tend to have laminate and tile flooring. Tiles in bathroom/shower, sauna and in the hallway, and laminate everywhere else.
I personally have to wear my shoes because my doctor has told me to (I have orthopedic problems) but other than that I have no idea
J M lmao there’s a thing called socks
That U.S store tax thing is soooo weird. Not logical at all. I would be like "F this…"
Miika Starck yeah it sucks!
Most likely they never changed it because it's sort of a way to get people to spend more, because the price seems lower, and only after you're at the cash you see the real price and can't be bothered to not pay for everything.
rektaalipalo yeah... they like to stick it to you however they can here. ☺️
It's very logical, unless you are in the government and don't want people to know how much tax they are paying when they buy something.
There are places in the US where it is illegal to post a sign that states how much you are paying for X is due to the state and federal tax on the product.
@@markflacy7099 So you don't wanna know how much something REALLY costs before you gonna pay them... you gotta have loads of useless money on you.
I'm American and no one steps on my floors with shoes on!
Must be from California.
same in my house
Yep. If you dont take your shoes off, they bring all the dogshit to the floor-
As a Canadian, the idea of wearing shoes indoor is very different to me. I've always taken my shoes off when I come inside, and everyone I know does as well... We are close, but far at the same time
I was literally going to post the same thing. I’m Canadian as well and I have always taken off my shoes at the door…I don’t think I’ve ever met a Canadian who didn’t!
Yeah, floor is a clean place in Finland. One can even sit on it.
I think it is the climate. It would be stange to wear winter boots inside and if one takes them out during winter it would be strange not to do during summer.
There is no Finnish awkward silence, it does not exist. It is just silence.
Oh but there is. It only exists when some weird foreigner comes along and wants to TALK :D
what do you do when you're with your friends if you don't talk?
I’m American (fellow Texan actually!) but parents are Pakistani so we were raised with taking shoes off. I still can not wrap my head around why people want to wear dirty shoes inside the house!!! What purpose does it serve???! Lol. Enjoyed the video!!!
Dobby 98 Lol! Yeah... to me it doesn’t make sense anymore. It tracks dirt all in your house. Seems so simple yet not too many people have picked up the habit here. So weird lol! Thanks so much for watching. Glad you enjoyed the video!
Maybe it has something to with stealing shoes.
@@amandajean7738 I have never seen anyone leave shoes outside the home. We leave ours in the garage or on a rack at the front entrance. But could be the case for some I suppose.
@@amandajean7738 Monty Python could easily make a sketch about vicious gangs of shoe-stealers and smugglers of rolling pins!
WHY DO THEY HAVE A FULL FLOOR RUGS AND YOUR DIRTY SHOES IN THE SAME ROOM AMERICA.
20:45 all fins are tired all the time its normal thats why we love coffee
eat chili and hotpot
Im dying she was having a good time😂😂😂😂 i am finnish myself and now i relise that our conversations are realy silent
meanwhile in finland:
person 1: *looks at person 2*
person 2: oh no they looks so mad oh no what have i done wrong
*spends the rest of the day thinking what they have done wrong*
•Minty Foxx• haha 😄
Most of the Finnish things you mention apply to all European countries
Because of course, they all make sense.
Nordic countries
We like compact things. Apartments are often too cramped, though.
To that latebeing thingy:
In Finnish schools if you're like 2 minutes late, the teacher will tell your parents (they will send ur parents a message that we call "myöhästymismerkintä") and you will most likely get to TROUBLE. I think it's SUPER ANNOYING...
Its 2019 and americans find out that they can took their shoes off when they come inside so there is not so much dirt inside
Americans are not the only ones who do that
I would go go crazy in a small place. I don't think they give enough food sometimes.
wrong, its a household custom. everyone is different some simply could care less about their floors being dirty. others like me, appreciate no shoes in the house.
I don't care about germs and dirt. Manual labor jobs and growing up outside desensitizes you to that stuff. I'll also wear pants two or three times before I was them lol.
Excuse me. Many Americans do remove tbeir shoes before entering their homes/ homes of others. It use to be a lot more common back in the Depression Era when folks tried to take care of their things more. But it became a matter of being courteous in not inconveniencing your visitors and also not having to smell some visitors smelly feet and some had holes in their socks.....so Americans started letting removing shoes slide....., not wanting to inconvenience, smell dirty feet and embarrassing a visitor for having old or socks with holes....and not embarrassing visitors or guests in our homes. But the past 10 to 15 years the habit has returned quite a lot and more are requiring removing the shoes again before entering the homes. I do it, and require it too at my home and I am always asking to before entering another person's home as well. Americans are taught at such young ages to be polite, considerate of guests and visitors. And I think its a good thing....and something some other countries could/should adopt. I grew up removing our shoes at the door.
I cant even imagine using shoes in my house, its so alien concept, i would probably cease to exist.
Its not just about hygiene and keeping your home clean, its lot more comfortable to let your feet breathe.
Kids growing up in America will keep their shoes on all day at school... and at home ... what on earth will that do to the development of the bones and muscles in the foot?
We have this thing called Elisa Saunalahti prizes, basicly unlimited everything!
Yzaes Duo prices...
yes
I love that ad
Yep and true. Using it in Sweden (I live near border). Data is like 3 times more expensive in Sweden.
Dont know how expensive phone is in Usa? But here in Sweden unlimited plan goes like 60€ / month.
Many others use it too here. Some use also finnish Telia who have free calls to also swedish numbers. Saunalahti dont have it, but for swedish calls I use an cheap prepaid (its only the data that is expensive in Sweden). Good to have dualsim phone 😉
Also good have finnish phone because it costs very much to call Finland from Sweden.
You made me fall in love! Darkness, dark humor, no small talk, they care about climate change... Like I'm moving there!
(BTW I'm Mexican, so I'm a very weird Mexican)
JV Detmer haha 😄😄
No we real finns know that the climate change is just probagandam southern finland is not real finland.
If you have lived In Mexico all your life, you will freeze during winter
@@thereisnorighteousperson1049 Sod off. Greetings from the middle of Finland.
@@weedidi7144 sod off?
#10: "Ei paskempi" could be translated as "not too shitty", but actually means "pretty good".
65 squaremeters is almost twice the size the apartment i live in 😂 am Finnish. but yeah, personally i don't want a place too big bc i keep thinking it's just extra space you gotta vacuum and dust.
Exactly, my friend! Too much extra space is not needed. Plus it makes the rent go a way higher, so not too many people can afford it
Yep. You can say 23-30 squaremeters is small, 65 is big 😂
A Good friend is one you can be in comfortable silence with
Yes! The best thing is to go to your friends house to take a nap or just watch a movie in silence!
Smaller house also means less heating expenses. Heating and electricity is quite expensive in Finland. Problem with really huge houses is that you have to keep all the rooms heated during winters, or you risk infastructure damages. Some houses the renter is obliged to keep the bathroom floor heating on a certain level at all times to prevent infastructure damage from water, at the risk of losing their insurance if they don't. If the winter gets REALLY cold, you even have to keep your taps flowing lightly to make sure the water doesn't freeze inside the pipes and break them.
As a finn I had to laugh a few of these, since I remember the time our relatives from the US were visiting. Of course it was different, since they had finnish relatives and they were first or second generation americans. But still.
I used to think I don't like it here, until I started to spend my winters up in lapland. The peace, the quiet and the clean air is all I need. Also the winter isn't that bad as it was in southern Finland. As we have snow, it reflects so greatly the light back. If you're ever back, please come experience a "dark" forrest under the clear sky, how "bright" it actually is. Taking my dog for a walk and not have any light pollution is the best there is.
"Small talk" with strangers is considered an odd, awkward concept in a number of countries (such as Germany) from what I hear.
Paul Doerwang Interesting! Thanks for watching!
I honestly think it should be considered awkward anywhere.
Instead of having a whole society always consider it anything --- awkward, unwelcome, obligatory -- why not let the individuals involved decide? If one person makes an overture and the other isn't interested in talking, we should be able to say, 'No, thank you' the same as we would to any other friendly offer.
exactly, talking to strangers is just "what do you want, why you talk to me, what's your motive" for me (German). I try to answer politely but it's really weird...
The clerk was probably just socially awkward, not all of us scandinavians dislike chatting with strangers :-) Greetings from Norway.
Œyvind Ârntsen Hvıdsten probably! Greetings from Texas ❤️✌🏼
Note that even though Finland is generally grouped with Scandinavian countries because of history, culture, and family ties; it's technically not on the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is a Nordic country however.
Finland isn't Skandinavian country. I see people CONSTANTLY calling it that but It simply isn't. It's really annoying and to some Finns even insulting in a way (some WILL get mad at you if you say "Finland is a Skandinavian country 🥰") It's a NORDIC country.
@@tuikku8645 we know, that's just cause we include you regardless of politics
As a Finn who studied abroad in Japan I find it interesting that you felt that living in Finland was small and minimalist style since that was my experience when I lived in Japan.
It's nice to hear that you picked up something from Finnish culture, I'm sure you would feel at home in Finland at this point based on this video.
Joni Palola Definitely! It was a very difficult time for me at first but it had a lasting impact on my life. Now I appreciate that experience so much. And I agree, I think I’d really feel at home there now. We are coming to visit next summer!!
Finland is awesome and finns are most wonderful people in all the world.
My bf is so proud of his Finnish heritage anytime we encounter difficult ppl he gets so serious & says "I'm Finnish dammit I don't wanna hear anymore arguments!" 😂 Idk why but it always ends any disagreements with unexpected laughter!
In Finland, we don´t ask people how they are doing unless we REALLY GIVE SHIT about how they feel :) We don´t do that fake small talk.
Try going deep right away and you might get a better response.. be real and ask something you care about
Or if we ask, you're our friend and we can see that something is really really wrong with you..
Probably the only, most real shit I've read on here as a Finn also. I don't even say ''Hi'' to my neighbors most of the time because their existence does not matter to me, at all. lol.
In being an American.....It's more about being courteous, friendly and engaging in conversation that there is an opportunity in getting to know each other. And it makes far more sense than sitting there starring at each other saying nothing.....which is completely boring and pointless. How do you get to know a person unless you engage in a conversation? Id feel stupid sitting there looking around, and at each other, and saying nothing to each other...... why even go and meet someone..... how utterly stupid.
@@charlottecannon8094 Well this silence thing isn't actually true if you go to meet someone deliberately. Then the silence is awkward and not just the typical finnish silence. People are exaggerating a bit here.
@@beiggo21 -Okay.
After living in the US and now Finland my favorite change is that everywhere is accessible by bike
Theodore Ovaska that’s cool!
Born in Finland, I currently live in France, I miss the constant light of summer in Finland, for me the cool nights of summer in France are rough.
In Finland, it is important to eat salmon, or other fish, or vitamin D, when the sun is not there, it is sun that is eaten.
People do not talk much to each other, but community celebrations open to all are great times of the day like the communal sauna sessions.
In Finland there are many festivals, especially when the sun comes: Vappu, Juhannus .... but also in winter: Santa Lucia, Pikku Joulu, Joulu's night .......
People are more open.
It's the finnish paradox, people who could are naked with every ones and are very familiar, but on a bus be far from others.
hihi, 65 square metres for just one person is a huge apartment :D greetings from a swedish finn in pietarsaari :)
ⴰⵣⴻⵍ ⴼⴻⵍⵍⴰⵎ
The darkness of winter is also hard for finns. all the winter i just sleep and miss the summer
Ei se talvi ny ihan niin paha oo. Kyllähän talvellaki on paljon tekemistä
Dont pretend you got summer on that iceberg you call country
@@vally732 I have sometimes felt like our summer is so warm that we're actually a bit sissy.
@@vally732 Where the fuck do you live if you don't think 25 celcius is warm
@@eemilllz5233 Even Canada, 25 C isn't overly warm for a summer's day (except in Newfoundland). That's a spring high and a very medium summer day. People think our summers aren't hot, but we have extremes in most of Canada.
I think that sense of sarcastic humor is build-in our genes ;-)
Timo Viinanen LoL! I agree! Thanks for watching! Greetings from Texas ✌🏼❤️
For real
Yeah sure why not
whatever
Living in Denmark close to Finland Sweden and Norway I can tell that many of the things you tell is actually pretty commen to all of the Scandinavian countries. Joke : Two Fins agree to drink together, they sit there for hours drinking, and after almost an entire evening of just drinking in sillence, one of them says "cheers". The other Fin turns his head and asks "Are we drinking or talking?"
Your attitute is so sweet and welcoming, A lot of what you told also goes for us here in Denmark. Never forget your time in Finland. It's priceless!
As a finnish person, I also find it funny that you keep explaining yourself while you speak, saying things like "I'm not trying to be rude". Well, yeah, obviously not! Sure, this is the internet so someone will always hurt their feelings regardless of what one says, but stuff like that just seems like a foregone conclusion...
Absolutely spot on! I'm laughing out loud and seeing our culture on a different light. Our humour tends to be as dark as our winters :D
Siri Termäs lol 😄 Thanks for all your support! ❤️✌🏼
@@WildwoodVagabond Always here for you girl!
Dark nighs! Why do you think we have the most Heavy Metal on earth! Also killing yourself is very popular..
Petrus Invictus that’s so sad!
DRIVE FAST. NEVER FEAR OF DEATH. THAT IS IT,
I live in northern Sweden (a lot like Finland) and never thought about how different Scandinavia is to USA. It's all in the little things
Sweden is nothing like Finland, and Finland is not a part of Scandinavia.
Sam Lew how isnt Finland a part of Scandinavia?
@@Sebentheyargimachine "Scandinavia" refers to Denmark, Norway and Sweden.[9] Some sources argue for the inclusion of the Faroe Islands, Finland and Iceland,[a][10][11][12][13] though that broader region is usually[dubious - discuss] known by the countries concerned as Norden,[c] or the Nordic countries.[6]
@@Sebentheyargimachine scandinavia shares the language, history, culture etc..Finland is one of few finno-ugric countries other finno-ugrics are in russia. We finns are not scandinavian.
Sam Lew you don’t know what you’re talking about! It was the same country for 600+ years and the cultures are very similar.
65m²
is a big house. I live in 18m².
Yep, I have 49 m2 and think it´s spacious :)
Ahishi Wow!! 😲 that’s cool!
Aurinkohelmi That’s awesome! We now live in 27 sq meters. It’s really spacious to us. It’s interesting how life evolves! Thanks for watching ❤️
Well Helsinki 60 degrees North and some minutes only Reykjavik in Iceland have more northern capital. Poor guys. Nice sunny day today since 0400. I will go my dark room for 2h nap.
Yes. 65m² is more than enough for couples with 1-2 kids. I didn't include in that garage and/or shed if it is house and you have yard.
If turku's humor is that difficult for you then you should check the savo humor with savo dialect... You will cry
yep, we definetly have polar bears in Finland😂
Makes sense. And that an American doesn't know where it is. Here we have a thing called school, where we learn stuff like that...
Mikey McMikeFace yep, it is a little weird because Finland is way more smaller than America, but it's still not a really tiny country. And there are some quite famouse people in Finland
🙄
galad riel What do you mean?
@@mikeymcmikeface5599 : So, if you did not go to school, you would not know were`s Finland! Im glad you learn stuff like that.
i love how you react to those differences in a positive light. I love FINNS 🫶🏻
I lived in Finland for 20 years and I still haven't gotten used to the darkness during the winter months, it's super depressing having to wake up in total darkness in the morning, go to work or school, and return home in total darkness. Light in summer in great tho.
I prefer Florida. But Finland has its nice points.
20 years? You lasted longer than most.
I'm from Texas and I live now in Suomi and I love it!...agree with you on everything.
Carlos L Toledo what has been the biggest challenge for you living there?
Food...I missed the food, specially breakfast tacos.
Carlos L Toledo yeah the good part was really hard... especially for my daughter. Her favorite foods are tex-Mex and hamburgers, which are just not the same there.
Where in finland exactly?? I live in kuopio
@@justacavemanwithinternetac717 he probably moved back... Missed the food too much
Hi Rachel! Thanks for the video. This topic is so interesting and I'm constantly trying to learn more about culture shocks that people visiting or moving to Finland are experiencing. So this video was really helpful! Thank you!
Nice to hear you mention #9, darkness in winter vs. light in summer. I've been living in Finland for 30+ years, and the change of seasons is for me like a constant jet-lag all year long. Your body needs to constantly adjust to the seasons and light conditions. It's tiresome, but I love it, to experience the seasons shift.
Please educate all your fellow Americans. Thank You for adopting some of our best practices for making America Great Again!
Juho Lääkkölä 😀
:DDDDDD tapaittes
Juho Lääkkölä HAHAHA!! Awesome comment!
In Turku, we always ask stuff negatively. "You don't have a watch?" "You don't know what the time is?" "You won't take coffee?" "You wouldn't know where they are going?
Another funny thing that comes to my mind, is the typical conversation with a Finn.
American: Hey! How are you?
American: Great, how are you?
American: Hey! How are you?
Finn: Oh I just got from the doctor, having some diarrhea, going to see my family later and then going to a restaurant and going to feed my cat when I get home. Blah blah blah blah..
Never ask a Finn how are you, they will give you a literal answer. :D
Tex Dillinger Hahaha so true!!! Thanks for sharing! And thanks for watching!
voj vitto
What's wrong with a literal answer? If someone is comfortable enough with me to share exactly how they're doing, I'd take that as a compliment. It's not like a normal person would volunteer information they want to remain private.
"Never ask a Finn how are you, they will give you a literal answer. :D" ...and yet we keep on telling ourselves that we're antisocial people as a whole :D
Another interesting thing is that it will always be you who's asking something and you will hardly get questions in return :)
You have a great Finnish accent. Good job.
Noah Nobody thank you ☺️
Yes, I loved hearing your Finnish even though I don’t understand it. I wish my parents taught us Finnish as children. How fluent are you after living there?
I can fully relate with your comments about Finland. I was born there but left already 42 years ago. I have spent my last 25 years in Houston, TX. I liked your positive view of the different culture. I had my own culture shock moving to Texas😁
I'm feeling more and more like I belong in Finland. I am a Mississippi native, and while I don't hate Mississippi, I kind of hate most things about it. I hate the heat. I hate the culture. I hate it when randoms walk up to me and are overly affectionate with me. I'm like, "Look, Karen, you literally haven't seen me since I was six months old! I don't know you!" I think maybe I'm overreacting here, but the point is that I kind of hate American culture for the most part, especially Deep South culture.
I plan on visiting Finland hopefully next year, and it just feels right.
Sauna? I kind of have always hated nudity. I'm not like, prudish, but I'm not particularly fond of the human form.
I'll stop rambling now. All conversation that I'm actually interested in becomes like way deep for me.
I spent a year in Pittsburgugh Pennsylvania! Got the Funny hat for graduation. Monangeheela, Allegeghany, and Ohio river. Three river Stadium. Football carried by hands and the dullest sport ever invented! Boys of summer Baseball needs alot of beer and hotdogs!
Morgana Kallo I really hope you get to go to Finland. If it feels right just go for it. I believe there is a purpose behind things when we feel drawn to them. I understand your feelings about American culture. Especially here in the Deep South. I can totally relate. I think you would find Finland refreshing. And you can still go to sauna but just do it in the privacy of your own home. Most apartments homes have their own sauna there. I mean it’s at least a fun experience. But you definitely don’t have to go to public sauna if you’re not comfortable. I like your comment. You seem like a deep person! I mean that in a really good way. Thanks so much for watching!
@@petrusinvictus3603 It's worse in the Deep South. Maybe it's just because I'm from Mississippi, but I think that's like the second worst state besides Louisiana. Here, everything is hunting and fishing, American football, and get-togethers. I stopped going to most of the family get-togethers over a decade ago because I just couldn't fit in and would go home exhausted and miserable. And I kind of dislike sports and trophy hunting anyhow. I like books and art and information. Huge difference there.
@Ida Scott Thank you! I firmly believe that I will love Finland. I don't usually go by feelings like this, but it just resonates with me on a deep level.
@@WildwoodVagabond That's comforting! I rarely like public places as it is (mostly because you sometimes feel pressured to meet new people in the U.S.), but this gives me so much hope. Thank you so much!
small talk is usually useless noise, there's no need to fill every moment with constant chatter. You can be, just be and experience instead of filling your anxiety with constant babble. I can't imagine having to chit chat with every passer by about nothing really...
Anthony Borderline that’s Texas :(
@@esmeraldabarajas6355 well, cultures are different and I'm sure there is some good humoured banter too, stuff that might make a place more united by those empty, well meaning words.. Trying to um.. do you know the saying every silver line has a cloud? ;-)
when i went to usa from my country it was a shock for me that people walked around with their shoes in the house, lied in the bed etc.
THey are dirty shoes, people spit and excrete various liquids with various deseases and you bring it all in the house and spread it. Especially on the carpeted floors
not everyone. In Ohio, with the weather, the shoes come off most of the time.
They lie in bed w/ shoes on, really? I thought that was only on tv. It used to drive me nuts watching shows and seeing them w/ shoes on the couch too. In Canada it depends on time of year and whose house. If you go to someone's house, you take your shoes off unless they give you the go ahead.
I too am from another country living in the USA., is one thing I hate is the spitting on the sidewalks etc., it is sickening! Everyone wants to be your friend but you never hear from them again! Still can't get used to that one.
In my house hold shoes are always taken off at the door, in my homeland and here! Wish they would do more recycling here too!
There are differences in every country, I would call it a bad thing, some are for the good IMHO!
Thanks a lot for this video, I 've been in Helsinki for couple months and it was a wonderful experience. What I most notices is that people do trust each other in an incredible way and are so kind
Khaled Labidi That’s so true! I noticed that too! I wish I could’ve spent more time in Helsinki. What is your favorite thing to do there?
@@WildwoodVagabond The thing I enjoyed the most was having night walks in the neighboring gardens, the nature was just amazing
Khaled Labidi Sounds amazing!!
@@khaledlabidi4467 "Helsinki" and "nature", words when used together makes a good Finnish joke to most people =D
number one appilies to most Finnish people and conversations unless something really bad happened, it's usually "Moi mitä kuuluu? (Hi how are you doing?) "Ei kurjuutta kummempaa " (Nothing less than misery) We Finns are at times (well very often) sardonic about everything . I think it is the fuel that keeps us going.
Accurate
I think it’s awesome! It’s a part of who Finns are and I definitely love them! Thanks for watching! Greetings from Texas ❤️✌🏼
Yes. It is equal to american Whats up dude? Not much...
It's the same in Germany. You ask "Wie geht's?" (How is it going?) and they answer "Geht so..." (It goes) or better even "Muss ja" (It has to)
@Reijo Väliranta I often use "Kaikki kuuluu kun kovin huutaa / Everything can be heard if you yell loudly" (yeah the joke doesn't work in English)
I'm a British guy about to move with to Finland for work. Your 10 culture shocks puts a smile on my face! The world needs more observers like yourself. I have to say especially in the USofA! Keep up the good vibes.
Sounds like through culture shock, you learned a lot and kept an open mind. Some things just “click” from a different perspective. Super happy to see this!
Daniel Conley open mind is key! Thanks for your comment
About the cars: station wagon is the thing here besides smaller hatchbacks. Lately SUVs have been getting more popular.
About small talk: Finnish don't really do it and if you ask "how are you", they might literally tell you 😂 I'm really extroverted person and I still think small talk is useless. Ofcourse you can have short chats or points with persons like in a cashier etc situations. Quite hilarious sometimes but a few times even I've noticed that the opponent got comfused someone is talking them more than needed 😂
Finnish sense of humour is really dry and based on sarcasm, self-irony and dark humour. And I think it is the best in the world and so colourful.
Finnish people are surprisingly worried about what the others think of them. Like you see here many Finnish people talk in clear and good English and still they are worried if it's okay. That way they are shy. I have to say I'm not one of them tho 😅
Darkness: I love winter (if it is a real winter, not eternal Autumn). A lot of snow makes it fresh and bright. Short light doesn't bother me at all. One of the most beautiful experience is to go out in Lapland in night time and have all bare starry sky and moon lighting the snow cover. If lucky, having also Northern Lights. That pure untouched nature in total silence is stunning.
Mikko Laine I did not get to see the Northern Lights while I was there. I wish so much I would have. But one day when I visit again I hope to!
I grew to love the Finnish sense of humor! I agree that it is colorful!
Greetings from Texas and thanks for your comments!
Station wagon, aka the mighty Volvo
Henrixl, that is pretty true. There are damn a lot of V70's driving pass every day. Not sure if it is the most common model but it is very popular.
@@mikkolaine4883 yeah, I'm from Tallinn and we have a xc 60
@@WildwoodVagabond if you only stayed in Turku/Southern Finland, it's extremely rare. I was born and raised in Turku until 21 years old and I've yet to see the Northern Lights southern than Oulu. It IS possible certainly, but very improbable
Your way of describing these things - no matter were they positive or awkward for you - is so full of friendliness, empathy and love that I really enjoyed watching and it was great to also learn a lot about your American viewpoint which I was greatly unaware of. Helps a lot when I get touch with Americans next time. Your whole approach is so positive and friendly that I'm sure you will be successful with these videos or whatever else you are willing to do. All the best from here where it is 9PM now and the sun is still shining.
Ray Raynoe Thank you so much for your encouragement! I appreciate it. ❤️☺️ greetings from Texas
My mother was Finnish so I've stayed in Helsinki with her sister (my aunt) many times since I was a child. I love Helsinki and Finland! Some of your stories about culture shocks made me laugh with how I totally got what you were saying. And what I really like about you is how you took the positive things about those culture shocks back to your life in America (eg recycling, no shoes indoors etc.). I am going to watch all your other Finnish-related videos in due course. Thank you!
Tim Gray
Hi! It’s nice to hear from you. Thanks for sharing! I wish you all the best. Much love from Texas ✌🏼❤️
I am studying to be practical nurse in Tredu (Tampere) and our teacher recomended your video for our homework. It´s cool to have quite the same feeling about Finland. I see so much more similarities now about USA (Texas) and Brazil than Portugal and Brazil. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I would hate not for knowing how much my crocerys cost.
No Fame It’s so annoying!! Thank you for watching! ❤️
65m^2 apartment for a single person is huge. It's not unusual for two people to live in apartment with less than 50.
I live in Dallas, tested 19 percent swedish and 10 percent finnish recently -- finally, now I know why I am what I am ! I always have to take special formula of vitamin d because I was born with the deficiency, as if the dark winter nights really affected my family line. I like to keep to myself and can stay in my apartment happily for days before covid-19. Sounds like I need to retire in Finland. I will continue to watch with interest.
I am learning about Finland and this is the first video I watched. Thank you for the info. Now on to part 2.
Turku mainittu! Torilla tavataan! Eiku....
Torilla tavataan, mutta jättäkää puukot tullessa.
TURKU
@@Bobba8590 Abo fyfan
@Lv99 Boss Läppä oli enemmänki se ettei oo toria
turku on suomen persereikä
I really feel like the small talk culture is slowly changing here in Finland, towards more international way. Of course it's still far from that, but people tend to open conversation much more likely than let's say, 10 years ago. Kids and youngsters have adapted more talkative, or should I say open attitude. When I was kid, we barely dared to talk to older people because of respect.
ZeroNitroMan Thanks for sharing! The younger people did seem more open to me than older people. Greetings from Texas! ✌🏼❤️
Thanks for the fun story! I'm really happy you liked it over here!
Gosh, it's amazing, for a moment before you said you were from Texas, I really thought you might actually be from Finland! Your english accent sounds quite finnish!
I had the same reaction and was ready to go to next vid. :)
I was picking up a bit of a Scandinavia accent too. I'm Canadian and have to admit I won't know one Scandinavian accent from the other, I'd have to be around for awhile.
She has a vowel or two that sound like a Finnish influence snuck in there, but for the most part she has a standard American accent. I’m a speech/language pathologist and my dad was a fluent native Finnish speaker.
I just heard her say “light” and she sounded like a native Finn speaking g English.
Hi Rachael! I really appreciated the content of this video. My husband who is Finnish sent me the link, actually. I grew up in South Carolina and plan to move to Finland in a few years, so I’d love to hear more! I have visited Finland several times since my husband and I started dating, and I have experienced a lot of these!!