Happy New Year to all!

Forget about ‘tweeting’, ‘friending’ and ‘teachable moments’ in 2010. They’re all on the most recent annual list of banished words. Take a look at what else has fallen out of favor. The 35th annual word banishment list is the brainchild of Lake Superior University. Remember ‘detente’ and ‘at this point [...]

A young friend of mine is seeking advice:

If a child attends a preschool at 3 and 4 years old where he is exposed to another language but not actively taught it and his native language is used as well, how much outside work will he need to be fluent in the foreign language by kindergarten? [...]

This time I was prepared. I knew a reverse culture shock would hit me like a rock but actually, it’s been more like both shocking and welcomed pebbles of recognition – yeah! THIS is where I’ve been living for the last 30 years.

I spent the last ten months at home – or more specifically, my [...]

*** Destia Finavia Itella Boreus Finstaship Edita Stadia Merita Nordea ***

Finnish? No. Well, what language then? No one knows. But they are all new, internationalized names for Finnish companies, banks, and schools. Can you guess which one is the Post Office – formerly Posti? (The answer will [...]

October 11, 2007

I’ve been wondering why life here seems so peaceful and relaxed even if I’m busy. I think the general framework of the society is so well defined, organized, and structured, that there’s room for individual freedom and creativity inside that structure. Since everything functions so well, an individual can take a deep breath [...]

October 9, 2007 It’s all so very relative . . .

So, what’s so relative? Many things. I think I’ll tackle the concept of cleaning first.

The Finnish proverb, Puhtaus on puoli ruokaa = Cleanliness is worth half a dinner is definitely taken seriously here. When I asked my [...]

My Life as a Returning Finn

I close my eyes on the corner of Voionmaankatu and Keskikatu, at the traffic lights, just as I did on a sunny September day in 1972. All of a sudden, 35 years seems like a bat of an eye – life is repeating itself. I remember that in 1972, [...]