Some Finish Culture (sort of)

I think the most cultural finish experiences I had since I’ve been here have been sitting in the sauna. The Finn’s seem to love the heat, I guess it’s because they experience the cold so much. The heating systems are mostly so good that in most buildings it’s quite comfortable to be in shorts and a T-shirt. Maybe that will change as it continues to get colder.

Anyway on Friday night I experienced a different side to the Finnish culture. Not long after I arrived home from work (it was a late night at work) I got a call from Frans (I’d meet Frans at the pub last week after the sailing club dinner), although it wasn’t Frans, it was his mate Frederick. Frederick wanted to know if I was up for a Beer, he was calling instead of Frans as he had not had as much to drink yet. As I had no other plans and not wanting to refuse an invitation I said that it sounded great and agreed to meet them.

It wasn’t just an invite to the Pub though. I meet them at the Local service station ‘Neste’ (not Nestle – you would not want to get the two confused). Frans, Frederick, Stefan and our driver for the evening Christian in a (I cant remember the year) classic Red Plymouth. After introductions we got moving, I sat in the back between Frans and Stefan, Frederick sat up front as it was his car. I was immediately handed a beer as we drove off towards town, and through town, and round the square, and back through town. It was quite a cool car, big and American but cool none the less. It was almost original, no seatbealts, but the sterio had been replaced, seats were not the greatest either. We drove around town for about three quarters of and hour, after which we went to Frans’s house to ‘change cars’. Frans has an old Ford Galexy (which used to be Frederick’s). So we drove around in Frans’s car for a while before we got to the pub. At the pub we played some Pool, Air Hockey, and some Darts with varying amounts of skill. After this the night continued in a similar fashion to after the sailing club dinner.

The Finns seem to love big American cars, I’ve send lots of them over here. There is a classic car museum just out of town which I’m meaning to go and have a look at. I find it a little odd as chew through so much fuel (only about €1.50/l at the moment), but I guess it’s not so much about the fuel as the status. When I met them at Neste I felt a little out of place as I hadn’t dressed like one of the boys form Grease (not quite, but a little). Unfortunately this was to be the last weekend they would be driving the cars this year. They will put them away until next summer. Until then they will drive their ‘Winter Cars’. “Japanese Cars are ok, for winter Cars”