Nothing to See in Finland
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
Jun 9, 2011 at 6:52am
It all just looks like this.
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Comments :
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
I'm going with the X-Files theory. Like, I wonder if these Finns aren't the center of some massive global conspiracy. Aliens, some crazy harvesting of organs, an elixir for beauty. There's something going on here. The truth is out there.
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
One thing I'm sure of: This "Turks and Finns are related" theory? If the Turks and the Finns are related, it's in the same way that kangaroos and giraffes are related--I mean, maybe, somewhere way, way, way up the phylogenetic tree, there was a common ancestor. Maybe.
Russians and Turks seem on the face of it to have much more in common.
Mar '11
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
Ah, Scandinavia :)
Aug '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
I want to go to there!
Aug '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
I understand Finns have an unusually high consumption of coffee and alcohol, and also smoke a lot.
Aug '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
Alternately, it is the Blessing of the Moomintrolls.
(The Moomin stories are delightful, BTW. You should read 'em to your kids.)
Edited on Jun 9, 2011 at 7:12amMar '11
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
Just add Estonian high heels . . .
Sep '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
There's something written on the building from Tolkien's favorite Finnish poem the Kalevala.
Sep '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
You laugh.
Edited on Jun 9, 2011 at 7:21amMar '11
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
Pseudo: I also am a lover of Tolkien, and had managed to avoid bringing up the subject you just raised in this conversation about Finland.
But, really, what caught your eye in that photo was the building in the background? (*shakes head sadly*)
Oct '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
If they're all lovely, then none of them is lovely. I'll take variety over sameness any day of the week (and twice on Sundays...well, a guy can dream).
Aug '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
Pseudodionysius: Tolkien's High Elvish language, Quenya, was inspired by Finnish. Tolkien taught himself Finnish in order to read theKalevala, a 19th-century compilation of old Finnish songs and stories arranged by Elias Lönnrot into a linear epic poem and completed in 1835 and revised in the mid-1800s.
The Kalevala epic parallels the real history of the Finns. It played a key role in preserving the oral legends and songs of the Finns, which linguists think date back to preagricultural Finland. As cultural anthropologist Wade Davis notes, "it goes back to the time of the shaman ... when people lived by poetry of an oral tradition. ... By definition, the entire language was the vocabulary of the best storyteller." In 2001 Wade Davis traveled to Finland to meet Jussi Juovinen, one of Finland's last great rune singers, and to hear him sing the Kalevala. Juovinen began to learn the poems from the elders of his village when he was a child and committed the songs to memory.
Edited on Jun 09 at 07:19 am
I once read that when Tolkien spoke of the Bard, he had this in mind, not Shakespeare. Is this the origin of Beowulf?
Jan '11
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
But do they have a sense of humor?
May '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
I work for a company based in Finland. I can easily see how an impression can be made in a short time that Finns are a bore. This is true from 8 am to 5 pm. They are a very technically driven, fair, and emotionless people, especially in business dealings. However, there is a large consumption of alcohol after 5 pm, from what I have seen. One of my coworkers commented to me once "Finnish guys like to drink." However, I think given the total population and low population density, they avoid serious issues with crime, etc. That is not easy to pull off in areas with higher population and/or population density.
May '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
If you know them well or are on their third drink.... My friends in Finland often do not know what to do with my sarcasm day to day. This was particularly true when we first met. The longer I know them, the more I learn about them and their culture. However, at first blush, it is easy to think they have no sense of humor.
Feb '11
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
I've never been to Finland, but I'm really surprised that at least the bit of Helsinki you saw all looks alike. Some of the best architects alive (or at least my favorites) are Finns, so it is surprising that Helsinki is looking so blah.
Aug '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
The architecture in that photo looks decidedly midwestern. You're sure that's not Fargo?
Oct '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
Years ago leading a team of volunteers at a hospital in Nicaragua we had two young Finnish physical therapists in training join us for a few days. Needless to say the distractive interference left us unable to even get close to accomplishing what we set out to do.
But, ahhhhh, it was indeed a very pleasant time getting acquainted.
May '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
Rumor has it that Weiner will resign in exchange for an ambassadorship.
Jul '10
Re: Nothing to See in Finland
Pseudodionysius
The leadership of the Quenya-speaking elves in Middle-Earth:
Curufinwe
Fingolfin
Finrod
Fingon
and, of course, Kate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett, that should be, darnit.
That must be one of the greatest contrarian statements in the history of the internets.
Edited on Jun 9, 2011 at 10:50am