Nordic cold and Finnish local color

We knew it would be cold. But we actually had no idea. The bright blue sky and a beautiful winter sun deceive us into thinking it’s cheerful spring weather. Even though my colleague Ursel warned us that the icy wind would make our eyes water, we were still surprised at how cold the morning -14 degrees felt.

No problem, we wanted winter, and we’re getting winter. With the plan to warm up now and then in a café or one of the many trams, we head towards the harbor.

We make our first stop at the cathedral and watch Finnish cadets during their Sotilasvala. Because we are naturally curious, we bombard one of the Finnish spectators with questions about what we are supposed to be seeing:

After completing basic training (usually after 6 weeks), the so-called Sotilasvakuutus (military oath) takes place.

This event is a festive highlight where conscripts are officially promoted to the rank of soldiers (Finnish: mieshistö) and take their oath to defend the homeland. “Conscripts,” yes, in Finland military service is still mandatory, although men can choose to do alternative civil service. According to our informant, the majority of men decide to serve in the military, despite bivouacking exercises in -30 degree weather in the woods, and even though there is no conscription for women, 10% of the troops are female. The positive attitude towards military service likely stems from the long border with Russia, we are told. However, he can understand why Germany is so hesitant to reintroduce conscription. Our past is certainly quite different. The Finns seem to be quite lenient with us procrastinators.

Unfortunately, the long wait at the cathedral has given us ice-cold feet. We hurry towards the harbor and are fascinated. The frozen Baltic Sea is a spectacular sight, and suddenly we can understand why people need to be rescued from frozen lakes in winter. The ice floes practically scream to be walked on. We pull ourselves together, don’t play Lars the polar bear and Lena the snow hare, and instead watch Ida grinning widely as she throws ice blocks into the harbor basin.

The Finns seem to have a different perception of cold than we do. Dressed in sneakers and a transitional jacket, they seem unaffected by the cold. No contorted faces, no uncontrollable shivering. Strange. Despite our merino layers, we are quite frozen. We need warmth from the inside and, anyway, we have a huge Kahvihammas (“coffee tooth”). So, we decide to take a break before we can continue exploring.

Unfortunately, we haven't warmed up to the language at all, and we are thankful that street names, stops, and public buildings are additionally labeled in Swedish (the second official language in Helsinki) and that the people speak excellent English. The Finnish names are sometimes so long and look to us like a random grab in a letter soup that we simply can’t remember them. Each one of them a good candidate for hangman. Here are a few curious ones:

Kalsarikännit: getting drunk at home in your underwear

Poronkusema: the distance a reindeer can travel before it needs to urinate, approx. 7.5 km

Hyppytyynytyydytys: the funny feeling of jumping around on pillows.

Jeesusteippi: “Jesus tape” – meaning duct tape that fixes everything

Etäteen! sanoi mummo lumessa: Forward! said the grandma in the snow

After our coffee, we look for something to eat. Ida rightly points out that it might be time for some fish. After all, we are by the Baltic Sea. Not that she likes to eat it, but she knows us well. We head to the old market hall. There is fish and other delicacies from the water, but we pass anyway. Caviar for €2400/kg is not in the budget even if we are in a generous holiday mood. It doesn’t taste good to us anyway. We would refuse the sample spoon even if it cost only €1 (instead of €10 here). We still want to treat ourselves to something local, so we grab a sandwich with smoked reindeer meat, stroll past the stalls with knick-knacks, before we head back to the hotel through the nearby park “Kaivopuisto.”

In the evening, we go to the ice stadium. This makes Finland the sixth country on our list where we watch ice hockey (after Austria, Russia, Canada, Sweden, and the USA).

The snacks in the stadium cost as much as the tickets way up under the roof (where it's probably the warmest - good choice of seats!), but it has to be: bread and games, that’s just how it is. Although the games themselves are also quite amusing: the first brawl even before the puck drop, two players lose their helmets due to a rough play in the first period, and at times three players sit on the penalty bench simultaneously. We are fascinated. Otherwise, the quality is quite limited. We now definitely know why it’s possible that despite the Olympic Winter Games, league play continues normally: with these guys, Team Suomi would stand no chance internationally. The fans to our right are definitely experienced in suffering. More than a “Oioioioi” can’t be elicited from them by the many missed passes. That’s Nordic resilience.

Tomorrow we have a contrast program: we want to take the bus out to a reindeer park, trading the hustle and bustle of the capital for peace and nature.

We will report back. Until then, have a nice evening and good night!