Comments on: My Holiday in Finland, briefly

By: velska

velska — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:33:51 +0000

When a regular flip-top box of Marlboros are something like, my memory suggests, 6 euros (almost US$9), a lot of people find it much more economical to smoke the do-it-yourself way. Also, it has some cultural cachet among youngsters, since only (ex-)cons used to roll their own. And that fact that you can’t tell an “innocent” tobacco joint from a hashish/maryjane joint.

By: JB

JB — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:52:33 +0000

Once I read your recollection that cigarette smoke “over there” has a slightly more stale and bitter twist to it, but less overpowering, my nose was immediately filled with the smell. I served in England and it was exactly the same smell. Another observation is that a lot of people rolled their own cigarettes in England and for the first few months, I was sure everyone doing so was smoking marijuana joints.

By: Hunter

Hunter — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:29:05 +0000

At least you have warmth to come home to. For our Christmas, we travelled from cold Idaho to cold Salt Lake. I’m wishing I were in Glendale today . . .

P.S. Missionary in ’99-’01? Man, I feel old. (Missionary — not Finland — in ’91-’93.)

By: Scott B.

Scott B. — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:36:47 +0000

Yeah, I was a missionary there ’99-’01.

By: velska

velska — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:43:28 +0000

So you’re carrying a big part of Finland with you in the form of your wife. I mean big from your point of view, not perhaps Finland’s.

You were here as a missionary 10 years ago?

By: Scott B.

Scott B. — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:53:46 +0000

Velska,
although I do love Finland, the primary reason I have returned so frequently is that my wife is Finnish.

Also, yes–it was a Finnair flight, though I suspect British Airways is the culprit here.

By: velska

velska — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:15:13 +0000

I just walked five miles in Oulu. It’s negative seven Celcius degrees, which means about 19 F.

The wind was about 25 mph, and when you have a wind alley between high buildings, it can be much, much more, so the wind chill was pretty bad. I just know my mouth was numb for a half hour after that, and as I walked briskly, I got sort of warm, but my knees were exposed under my parka, and they still hurt, because they haven’t warmed properly. I don’t have the best circulation in my legs…

And I want to point out, that I was offered a ride, but for my health I have to exercise, and I figured that would be a nice walk. Well, I’ll survive.

I served my mission in England, and it was quite different.

If you served in Turku, Rauma or Oulu, I might know a bunch of the people, having lived in different places along the western coast. I also have some relatives around.

Anywho, it seems that you like Finland to some extent, if you have flown back here several times since you mission? BTW, I hope it wasn’t Finnair that lost your luggage? If it was, at least don’t mention it to a Finn. It’s the patriotic duty of a Finn to get offended, if you blame Finnair for losing your luggage.

Hope you have a good visit.

Cheers,
–velska