[First published on February 13th, October 2008]
Is quite a while since I haven't wrote...why?...because I was in vacation (went skiing in Solden - and I will tell you more about it in future emails). Today I want to tell you something funny that happen a few weeks ago.
My father needs to change his glasses, so I went with him one day to a shop near by. I was there only to look for summer glasses, even though I have ones, and I let my father discuss with the sales person there...he asked about many types of frames - plastic, metal, round, square...I don't remember them all...I wasn't actually paying attention. But...as we were preparing to leave, with his back facing me, my father said: "Let's go Jack!"...I was thinking like.."uh..ok..that's our dog's name...but what the heck..is not the first time happening..." but the sales person was looking at me with a weird expression on his face...probably he was thinking..."is that her name? or is it a nickname? who would name his daughter Jack...in Romania!!!"..in the end I explained him who Jack is and that my father is used to going out with the dog, not with me...what can I say...I should go more often with my father for a walk... in the end we all started to laugh :)))
Let's go, Jack!
Interesting facts about Finland form a Finish guy!
[First Published on February 27, 2008 and adapted to date]
In February I had a cultural Finish exchange. Besides the business meeting, we also had interesting chats about what is different and similar between Finland and Romania. On short, here is what I have found out and remember :)
* Nokia - Finish brand Romanians use
* F-Secure is Finish antivirus while BitDefender is Romanian antivirus, both being present on Finish and Romanian markets.
* Finladia vodka vs Romanian Palinca - both are good for keeping you warm and are very strong.
* Sauna is very popular - if you have a business meeting or just friends coming over, go to sauna, have some beers and you will definetely agree on future plans in the benefit of all. People go to sauna starting with 2-weeks of age.
* Hockey - one of the most popular sports
* Mammi - traditional Finish cake that EU thought of banning because its awkward taste :)
* Romanian sarmale can also be found in Finland, but the recipe makes them a little more dry and brownish :). Both types are very good and delicious.
* Pickels are eaten quite frequently.
* 20 C degrees is summer time YEY
* 24th of July is the Midnight Sun day national holiday - many people get drown this day because they party all day, have fun, drink for a while and then go to have a bath in the sea or lakes.
* 6th of December is the Independence day: Finish people obtained the independence in 1917 from Russia. In Romania the Independence day is on December 1st representing the Unification Day of Romania and Transylvania on December 1st, 1918.
* 3 km on taxi in Helsinky will cost you about 18 EUR.
* "Kippis" is cheers in Finish, while "Noroc" is the Romanian version.
* Finish people do not regularly eat pig skin ("sorici"), while the most of the Romanians like it. I know I love it hihihi!
* We eat pig brain also. I don't know about Finish people in general, but my Finish partner tried it for the first time and he like it :)
This is just a short and quick comparison between Romania and Finland that I could make after a couple of pleasant days, but I am sure there are more interesting facts to discover. So...until I have an update, take care!
