Welll...let me charaterize us...

We are stubborn, jealous, non-social, silent but honest people.
That what they claim about us. But I cannot recognize myself in the definition . They say...once you get a finnish friend, that will be for a lifetime.
I reality we vary a lot. I know both talkative and silent finns, honest and not so honest...

Laura

Yesterday I was coming home from a meeting with my new private clients. I was tired after the day....and then in the full bus I got a drunken guy next to me. He asked me if the bus is going to Tapiola. I said yes...and I must have looked frightened, because he said: "You don´t have to be afraid of me". I just have had too many unpleasant experiences with drunken men lately. I said to him "Okay then" but didn´t want to start any conversation.
These things you would never face as a man, yet I would never ever change back.

Laura

Italians are different....

On saturday downtown Helsinki I passed some italian male tourists, who noticed me, smiled at me and greeted "Ciao bella"... finns aren´t that funny.

Laura

Laura,

What is the national character of the Finns? You and the world rally drivers are the only Finns I know of. I have never met a Finn in person. So I was wondering how you would describe them. You say there not that funny, what are they like then?

I guess your mountain people and our forest people have much in common. But our city people are just like any urban people in Europe.
One thing comes to my mind from the Finnish Officer´s Academy. We were told that you cannot just give orders to a finnish soldier and expect that he obeys. Unlike to for example germans, you must explain to a finnish soldier WHAT we are intending to do, WHY we do it and WHAT his part is in the operation. As soon as he accepts the concept, he will fight for it. I guess, we are more individuals than mass people.

Laura
the female officer