"Stone men" ("Kivimiehet") welcome you in Helsinki! (Photo)

...now as you soon quite good know us Finns...but I am heading off...Peru is calling me in 2,5 days...

Lyhdynkantajat (a.k.a. Kivimiehet) is the group of four statues at the main entrance of Helsinki Central railway station in Helsinki, Finland, sculpted by Emil Wikiström in 1914. Stone men are well known in Finland, and may have hats on when snow and winter.

Cultural differences, part7: "Finnish silence can be golden"

For you to think about, when you meet with Finns...An American expert Berry says: 

"Finnish silence can be golden. 

In Finland, a positive but quietly active person may not seem talkative. Such an individual often listens and thinks while others talk. However, they open their mouths when it’s their turn to talk and express something relevant to the discussion. Finns are able to interpret this kind of silence, but it is difficult for other cultures to be comfortable with it”.

Cultural differences, part6: "Yes" is "No" - "No" is "Yes" - "Yes" is "Yes" - "No" is "No"

Tjaaah...The wonderful world of "Yes" and "No"...You should somehow know it in beforehand, which is the system of the country  you are dealing with...To be somehow satisfied...Or then you should enjoy the wonderful world of chatting anyway.

In Russia "No" can at the end mean "Yes". As in some other coutnries too. Actually very nice. You are at first very depressed, but if you are patient enough everything will work out at the end. As in Latinamerica too. But anyway it brings you insecure times inbetween "No" and "Yes". So sometimes better that way as in Finland, where "No" means more often "No"?

In Finland if the person says "Yes" you can tradtionally trust on it. "Yes" means "Yes" and the things happen then - at least quite often...In Finland if something is agreed orally, it is agreed. In some other coutnries that is not enoug. You need to sign, write documents and sign them among other things. And even then it sometimes is not enoug. Well, you have to know all this in beforehand. And even so, little bit hard sometimes to understand... Because we in Finland have a word "Trust". For example we have trust on our teachers at school and that is why we have trust on our educational system. But about trust I maybe will speak in another story of mine.

I like Japan very much. It is a country with a wonderful mix-up of traditional and modern cultures of every possible kind of thier own and the world. And traditionally Japanese surprisingly have something common with Finns. For example that both nationalities can endure the silence. About "to be silent or not to be" I will talk more later. Anyway when talking about the silence, Finns and Japane get quite well along. According to my observations and what I have experienced and studied. You should remeber, in Japan "Yes" means "I have noticed what you said to me". It is at least some times the way how the conversation is open for further conversations. Then I suppose, Japanese "Yes" can at the end mean "Yes" or "No"?

In 2,5 weeks I will be in Péru... (Photo)

Fascinating world of foreign languages, Part2: What languages to study?

Studying foreign languages is very wise. With English you get along in many parts of the world. But to understand better or in its entirety what happens around you, you need for that cultural empathy and the language of the country. What language you should study depends on your personal motivation and needs, may be every day needs or the professional ones. But there must be a motivation. If not so, you will learn very little. 

The languages of my life are no doubt German and Spanish, and I do not say “no” to Russian and Japanese either. But up to German and Spanish of these languages, when speaking of Russian and Japanese, I manage to speak only so called “Word-Russian” and “ Word-Japanese”.  In German and Spanish I like the intonation of these 2 languages as Finnish has no intonation. The foreigners say it is “a tiki-taka –language”. This expression sympathetic too…no doubt. Russian is a very smooth language, “muy suave” and Japanese is a very expressive language and for Finns very easy to pronounce. I hope the Japanese people do not become angry if I say that for example when Japanese are angry I like to hear the sound of the Japanese words…Very convincing, the angriness of the Japanese people.

But anyway - what is interesting. If you compare the languages above to each other, these languages and cultures are very different. So my life is never boring, though some day may be more enjoyable than the other day… 

Thanks(ENG)-Danke(DE)-Gracias(ES)-Spasibo(RU)–Arigato(JP) to all of you!

Cultural differences, part5: Enjoy life and working life with no hurry, it tastes better so...

To be or not to be busy at work?

“Kiire on vain asenne…To be always kind of busy is just an attitude”, said the famous Finnish designer and the founder of Marimekko, Armi Ratia.    …I think so too

Why wasting time in being busy at work?

Why people are busy at work? Either they cannot prioritize their “things-to-do” or their bosses give them too much to do which they cannot manage in a given time. Often probably both. Or one of these options. But anyway at the work place there are people who always are busy, no matter what day or time it is. I cannot understand that. Why wasting the precious time of yours in being busy?

Are there cultural differences at a work place?

I think, yes. People at work in Spain or Latinamerica have less stress and people at work in Finland should have less stress…But may be worldwide, there are from year to year less and less differences though. May be…I have met in Spain also people who have stress. So may be that the working life in every part of the world has become kind of busier and busier.

But those who would like to have a taste of relaxed life, should get to know the Finnish Moomins:  ... and enjoy life and working life with no hurry, it tastes better so.

Las Diferencias culturales, parte4: Planear y realizarlo

Planear o no planear?

Me gusta mucho planear, como un parte de finlandeses. A veces planeo demasiado, yo sé. A veces me gusta mucho que las cosas suceden “extempore”. Es refrescante.

En todo caso en ocasiones especiales es más útil planear.  Si tienes tiempo limitado y si quieres realizar cosas. Pero me admito, si a veces es aburrido así… Y puede ser que los españoles a veces no les comprenden mí manera de tanto planear…

Tiempo es dinero, o mejor dicho tiempo es para estar satisfecho

Cuando tienes tiempo limitado, planear es mejor. O no? En todo caso el problema es que con los españoles a veces es muy dificil planear cosas en antemano. Además a veces cambian sus planes en el ultimo minuto…Ya tengo bastante experiencia. Normalmente muy frustrante…o quizás yo no estoy normal? Bien posible...

Los españoles muchas veces dicen “Cuando vienes, llamame y verémos”. Okey, pero es problemático. Sí yo tengo tiempo limitado - puede ser una semana - también tengo tiempo limitado para realizar las cosas que quisiero yo durante mí estancia. Para estar satisfecho. Las cosas pueden ser muy importantes para mí, como ver a un artista española que nunca más en mí vida tengo yo la posibilidad ver… Si alguna cosa no se pasa como planeado, puede ser que esta cosa no más puedo relizar yo durante esta semana particular. O a lo peor nunca más en mí vida…Así para mí una oportunidad perdida. Frustrante. 

"Plan B" es necesario, y humor negro

Una cosa ya he aprendido. Así me conseguían unos españoles también. Con los españoles siempre tienes que tener un "Plan B". Pero a veces el "Plan B" no es…como "Plan A". En esta ocasion,” el humor negro” te ayuda estar más satisfecho. Puede ser?