Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is nothing exactly that Finnish but as a foreigner it is a community which you can find useful in many ways. Couchsurfing is about trade but trade in more general sense. You give and you get, but you may give to someone and you may from get it back someone else at some point of life. Basis of trade here is place to sleep, friendly advice from other person who is curious about other globetrotters, cup of coffee. When I couchsurf the only thing I can expect is a place to sleep, but I have always received much more than that (rides from train station to host’s home, city tours, good advices what to see, what to do, interesting discussions…)

My experience

I have been Couchsurfing member since 2006 when Ildi introduced me to it. First year I did not do anything with it. When I moved to Bratislava 2007 I couchsurfed my first nights at Matus while searching my own flat. Matus is still friend of mine. I met him last time in New Year 2010.

After my first couchsurfing experience I have been couchsurfing myself, once in Graz, Austria, twice in Budapest (the other time I was couchsurfing with Ilka), in Brno, Czech Republic, Chicago, USA and Poprad, Slovakia. Not only I have couchsurfed but I have hosted Brazilian, American, Welsh, New Zealanders, Hungarian, Portuguese and Italian couchsurfer. Not only it is cheap way to travel but one is gaining much more experiences and get way more out of travelling when getting advices from local people. I have been amazed so many times how friendly people are.

The idea is that one makes profile to www.couchsurfing.org that is basically ad in the marketplace. You can modify your ad depending your life situation. Not all the people have possibility to provide place to sleep but they are happy to show city around to someone.

Helsinki Group

In the couchsurfing society there are many different groups relating to interests or locations. One of the group in Helsinki Group. It is volunteer group. They organize meetings once a week at Talo bar that is in Hakaniemi, not far from my place. That one chance to you meet other expats, exchange students, tourists visiting Finland and Finnish people willing to share their time with foreigners. Besides regular meetings they organize happening on special occasions (Midsummer, MayDay etc.).

They have also active (really) forum from where people have found recently free Viking Line tickets to Stockholm and back, help with moving (car and powerfull guys to move the furnitures), models to her artwork. You can decide to either receive messages sent to the forum to your email or not.

Therefore I suggest you to consider if you’d be up to joining Couchsurfing!

You can find me there under the profile name MIIKA

Good luck!

Kahvia

Coffee

Finns drinks most coffee in the world. How did it happen? We surely do not have coffee beans growing in the here in the north!

Coffee pause at work

Finnish law does not know coffee pauses at work. However most of the Employee Unions have agreed with Employer Unions about coffee break. For example employers in Trade (shop clerks etc.) are allowed to have two 10 minutes coffeebreaks during the workday (when length of the workday is 6-8hours, if it is 4-6hours employer is allowed to have one 10 minutes coffee pause) if employer do not follow the Union agreements then it is against Finnish law. For the employee it is not obligatory to drink coffee during those pauses but most do. :)

Coffee bread

Finnish people, especially elderly people, call cakes, pies, cookies with one common name “coffee bread”. Bread is the essence of Finnish nutrition and for sure naming the sweets that goes along the cup of coffee indicates how important it is to have something along with coffee. I guess the all time favorit as a coffee bread is Korvapuusti, Munkki and Ginger Bread during the Christmas time. It is extremely shameful, a total nightmare for a good Finnish wife, not to have coffee bread all the time available in case of surprise visits. If nothing else Napakymppi –kääretorttu always does the trick!

King of Finnish coffee

Well, Finns do like their coffee beans much less roasted than most of our European brothers and sisters. Unique taste as usual. Traditionally Paulig has been the coffee brand admired most Finns, especially Paulig’s Presidentti (President) and Juhla Mokka (Fest Mocha) has been the household names since beginning of 1900. Lot of discussion have been around coffee machines but according the polls Mochamaster brand is cool to have in Finnish kitchen.

You are invited anytime to have a cup of coffee at Pengerkatu so we can catch up!

Lahti

Lahti

First Finnish thing I want to introduce you is the city of Lahti.

Fast facts

The Lahti region forms part of the Helsinki metropolitan area. Lahti occupies an ideal logistic location in the centre of Southern Finland, with good traffic connections to other parts of Finland. Lahti is only an hour's drive away from the greater Helsinki region and Helsinki-Vantaa international airport. With the new Helsinki-Lahti railway the traintrip to Helsinki takes only 48 minutes.
Lahti region in brief

• Number of inhabitants 198,434 (city of Lahti 100 944)
• Inhabitants/km2 39
• Number of households 94,491
• Number of businesses 9,739
• Area 6,258 km2
• Area of water 1,125 km2
• Number of lakes and ponds approx. 1,000
• Coastline approx. 5,500 km

Connections to Lahti

Ulla-Maija plans to move to Lahti. My sister is living in Lahti. My “oldest” friend with whom I have been friends since we were 3 years old lives in Lahti with his beautiful wife and even more beautiful 5 months old little baby. My own history is bind many ways to Lahti since I am originally only 15 minutes drive from Lahti. The town I am from is called Orimattila.

Big part of inhabitants of Lahti are old people or their sons and daughters who runaway from parts of Karelia that become part of Russia (Soviet Union) during the WW II.

Lahti used to be town I went for nightclubbing when I turned 18 years old. So Lahti is full of nostalgy for me. However, with my stereotypic mindset, I do not consider Lahti-people that friendly or curious. They may carry on the industrial town -mindset still in their blood. Please do not agree!

Tips & Tricks:
-Take a boat tour during the summer in Vesijärvi and before that take a cider and if more local taste “sahti” Lahti Port
-See the biggest wooden building built after WWII in Finland and enjoy either classical or rock concert there: Sibeliustalo
-If you are brave enough see the most legendary rock pub Torvi
-Those who are not vegetarian have cheapest food ever (and so good) –“lihapiirakka” and enjoy the buzz of market square. For veggies we recommend “munkkipossukahvit”
-Take bird eye look over Lahti from the ski jumping building
-Winter fun (Skiing etc) in Messilä
-A Museum Journey in Päijät-Häme

This is my “home” in Orimattila where I lived from 4 years until 20 years old.

Have a good visit to Lahti, you know will have one experienced guide (me) and one more fresh guide (Ulla-Maija)!

PS. I have few good plans already in head what we will do while visiting Lahti

Purpose of this blog

I have created a blog to welcome you to Finland.

My intention is to introduce some Finnish thing once a week until you two arrive. After that you are able to explore it on your own with all senses of your. Much better than just reading.

Tervetuloa Suomeen!