Have you ever been in Finland?

[stormbind]

Never been to Finland, and there are some other unvisited places with greater priority so unless I suddenly start jumping around the world it doesn't seem very likely that I'll ever visit

 

[mrtn]

I've been to mainland Finland two times (but only passing through once), and to Åland four times, IIRC. As I'm a Swede I know not as much about Finland as I probably should, as it's a neighbouring country. If you spoke an intelligible language (like the Danes and Norwegians do) that would be easier. Seriously though, I think it is like that. I can read comics and stuff in Danish or Norwegian, and have a conversation with them if they don't talk too fast. This is impossible with a Finn, we have to use either Swedish or English.
I think Åland is quite like Skåne, in that it's part of one country, but culturally linked to another. I like both, BTW.
My friend was Finnish Champion in Diplomacy last year, and my other friend's uncle has the biggest sheep farm in Åland (at Björkö).

 

[crabapple]

I live on Åland but I would never wish to belong to Sweden for many reasons, I talk swedish and my finnish is very bad , hardest subject in school btw. But still I consider myself more finnish then swedish.

 

[JJP]

Originally posted by HuckFinn
Perfection's post makes me bring up one issue that pops up every now and then... I don't think Finland should be classified as "Scandinavian". Scandinavia is the peninsula with Sweden and Norway on it. Denmark and Iceland can be included, this is mostly due to related languages and all the Viking stuff those countries share historically.

Finland is a "Nordic" country, not Scandinavian. I kind of like the distinction, since Finland does differ from its other Nordic pals, even if the differences are not obvious on surface today.

I'd appreciate other Finns' thoughts about this issue, though.

I agree with HuckFinn. Finland is Nordic country, not Scandinavian.

 

[Hitro]

Never been to Finland but I'm quite attracted by the climate, though that's true for all Nordic countries.

 

[Adebisi]

Incarnatur Est, where are you from really?

I however think we should change the definition a bit and make Finland Scandinavian. Check out http://www.goscandinavia.com/ for example, all Nordic countries are there.

It doesn't have to be perfectly geographical either, it can be a bit vague.

Originally posted by Ultraworld
Nice architecture
Well educated people (not the silly dutch nonsense educational system), from "backwarded" to smart.
Forrests
Nice landscape
driving/F1
Nokia
6 million people
non-indo-european language, related to hungarian

Hey, that's a nice way to sum it up

 

[crabapple]

Originally posted by Adebisi




Well... Living in Pohjanmaa, I can certainly say that you aren't the only Swedish speaking person in Finland who have a problem with Finnish.
Luckily the Swedish langage has a position as an official language in Finland. That means that the Swedish speaking minority (who is not really an ethnic minority btw) can get most services in Swedish, altough only 6% of the population speak the language.

I'm in the 42nd Coast Artillery Section of the Finnish Navy btw, in the medical platoon, with the mission to protect Aland



Hey, that's a nice way to sum it up [/B]

You have misson to protect Åland? Isnt Åland a no military zone?

 

[Adebisi]

Originally posted

They are relying on someone else protecting them

 

[Hurricane]

Originally posted by Adebisi
When I left the army, the Section Commander told me not to "speak too loudly" about it ...

I guess the Internet doesn't count.

I also agree that Finland is a part of Scandinavia. English doesn't just make a difference between Scandinavia and the Nordic countries. So what it boils down to is that Scandinavia in Finnish is not the same as Scandinavia in English.

 

[TedJackson]

About 10 years ago I was on a Project Board meeting hosted by SE Banken in Stockholm.

Rather than entertaining us in Stockholm they put everybody on the overnight ferry to Helsinki. The ferry was enormous! Five decks IIRC and had, at least, 3 discos and so many bars that I lost count It even had it's own shopping mall.

After an all-night blowout of eating, drinking and shopping we arrived in Helsinki just after dawn and headed for the hotel for some much needed sleep.

We lunched in a first-floor restaurant that had been a government building during WW II. I can't remember the name after all these years but it was very impressive.

After our final meeting on Friday afternoon I elected to stay the weekend and play tourist.

All in all I have some very fond memories of that visit and have always meant to return but have never managed it. Finding this thread has brought back a lot of good memories.


regards

Ted

 

[crabapple]

Originally posted by Adebisi


When I left the army, the Section Commander told me not to "speak too loudly" about it (altough the Russians sure know about it), but the 42nd Coast Artillery Section and other batallions currently formed by the Brigade of Uusimaa have a mission to protect Aland in war.

Many Aland-natives in the Brigade told me they think Alandians should be conscripted too, as currently they are relying on someone else protecting them

I would never want to get into conscription to much hard work ( yeah I am lazy )

 

[Inter4]

No but I will sometime

 

[Adebisi]

Originally posted by TedJackson
Rather than entertaining us in Stockholm they put everybody on the overnight ferry to Helsinki. The ferry was enormous! Five decks IIRC and had, at least, 3 discos and so many bars that I lost count It even had it's own shopping mall.

I know, for being two small countries very close to each other, Finns and Swedes travel on enormous and luxurious ferrys

Originally posted by Inter32
No but I will sometime

So will all of us Finns, exept the de-militarised crabapple.