It is general knowledge that Finns are quiet, nature loving people who are passionate about the sauna and foraging. Or are they really? My yet another trip to Finland this last week confirmed what I had already known before — there is much more to the stereotypes we usually have about five million Finns and their way of life. Here are four things you should know about the Finnish way of life that ...
Tag: nature
A brief resumé of Finland
For the newcomer to Finland, this day 1 of FCP 2016 could have been a perfect introduction to the art of Finnishness. For the 12 of us – some of us being here for the first time in 20, 18 or 7 years – we could finally catch up with the country and jump straight into it.
A short briefing with Kai Mykkänen, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, updated us on current affairs with ...
Coming home to Finnish nature
One day in Finland and I already feel like I’ve come home to an old friend, even if we are both a little older and wiser. Catching a tram through Helsinki with a gaggle of international journalists, all chatting in a score of languages about current affairs, was as stimulating as the first time I tried it, back on the Foreign Correspondent’s Programme in 2010. It was also a little bittersweet ...
There was a little girl in Shanghai writing to Santa Claus
More than 7000 kilometers away from Helsinki, there was a little girl in Shanghai writing to Santa Claus: please fly me to the lakes, to the forests and bring me to see the northern lights! 20 years later, the little girl becomes a TV journalist. She travels all over the world, making business and political interviews with important people. One dream she keeps to herself: meeting Santa Claus in ...
Travel to Finland is a wonderful birthday gift
I noticed my wishes come true, when I don’t think about them all the time. A good example of this observation is how I received the final decision letter about participating in thisisFINLAND Foreign Correspondents’ Programme 2015 from the Embassy of Finland in Astana.
After sending in my application for the programme I was so busy with other things that I totally forgot about it. Eventually, ...
Why do the Finns love Los Serrano – and other important questions to ask in Finland
Participating in thisisFINLAND Foreign Correspondents’ Programme this summer is a once in a lifetime opportunity that comes at the best time for me.
Freshly graduated from university, I’m now a journalist, based in Barcelona, aiming to build an international career in the field of communication.
This programme is not just another experience abroad, but a great chance to learn from Finland through ...
Nordic Peace
Freedom
In Finland, you can feel as free as a child. There is always something for everyone. You can find yourself easily in Angry Birds Activity Parks. It does not matter if you are child or not. That’s why when I found myself in a swing in Angry Birds Activity Park in Rovaniemi, I was there more than 2 hours.
Photo by Gunjan Sharma
Safety
In residence where I stayed, my room was near the road so ...
Finland Is More Fantastic Than Any Other Fantasy
Before I came to Finland, what I’d known about this northern European country is its high rankings in many international comparisons of national performance such as the Global Peace Index or Technological Achievement. However, after numerous meetings with politicians and professionals, visits to business enterprises andinstitutions, trips to different parts of Finland, I ...
Memories from the Family Weekend
Every year FCP has one weekend in the programme when the young journalists have an opportunity to travel to different families located all over Finland. The purpose of this weekend is to show what Finnish family life is about.
-So how was the family weekend this year?
I spoke with the families and the FCP participants about this weekend and asked their opinions and thoughts about the weekend. It ...
“Farmily Weekend”
After the precious visit to the Prime Minister Mr. Jyrki Katainen, we all headed to the place where we spent a weekend with Finnish families. On the way to Hankasalmi, about 400km north of Helsinki, I was enjoying the view from a long-distance train. It was 30 minutes after saying goodbye to Helsinki city that I realized Finland was literally “a country of forests and lakes.” How many lakes ...