tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86590153113218692592024-02-07T06:07:27.413+02:00A foreigner living in FinlandMonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.comBlogger503125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-14401861837654540202011-02-23T12:02:00.003+02:002011-02-23T15:16:02.658+02:00Piling snow up high<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 21 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normaali taulukko"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4ptMonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-71476096311466360562010-09-30T11:56:00.001+03:002011-02-23T12:38:27.368+02:00Presumed consentOn August 1st 2010 Finland got a new legislation concerning organ donation.Earlier you always needed expressed consent of the deceased in order to use organs in transplantations, but from now on you are presumed to have given your consent for organs to be used, if there is no knowledge of you having being opposed to organ transplantation. Here you can read more about it, if you’re interested. MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-4553122145789611832010-09-22T14:00:00.004+03:002011-02-23T12:20:59.165+02:00Heavier taxation on sweetsThe Finnish Finance Ministry has made a proposition on an additional tax on candy and sweets, sweetened soft drinks, chocolates and products containing cocoa taking effect by beginning of next year.The proposition is based on the risen consumption of confectionery, obesity and deteriorating dental health becoming more common amongst the young during the past ten years and a similar tax was MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-36468980642070856472010-08-20T09:44:00.001+03:002011-02-23T12:51:16.667+02:00Finland’s second female prime ministerI just came to think that Finland now has its’ second female prime minister. And this is the second female prime minister in two consecutive cabinets of the same political party. In the year 2003 the Centre Party won the elections resulting in Finland’s female prime minister, who was in charge from mid April to end of June. This is the shortest period for a cabinet to exist, as cabinets tend not MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-9180884054644672602010-08-17T08:45:00.000+03:002011-02-23T12:16:34.678+02:00World’s oldest existing champagne ?A sunken boat was discovered in the Baltic Sea, in the Åland archipelago, in July at 45 meters depth by some divers. The boat is estimated to have been built during the first quarter of the 1800’s, and was carrying about 5 cases of champagne.The champagne perhaps predates the French revolution and to many people’s surprise, it is still potable. According to the Finnish wine-expert that has tried MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-63905337313733701672010-08-16T11:54:00.004+03:002011-02-23T12:53:12.057+02:00How to bathe or not to?Friday, was a Friday the 13th, I was trying to blog but had computer trouble all day, and as a matter of fact almost the whole weekend went to getting it working again. I really don’t know what was a miss, but that is life from time to time, so here I am now, pretending this is last Friday, and blogging about the things that I was on about. The Sauna world championship was held for the MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-65274436132807012512010-08-09T09:56:00.000+03:002011-02-23T12:43:36.165+02:00Right to wed?The majority of the Finns are Lutherans, even though not many seem to practise their religion much, except maybe when getting married and having their offspring christened. If I have not got it completely wrong, in Finland the church and the state have been separated from each other since the reformation when Finland was a part of Sweden. According to an interview in a newspaper the bishop of MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-74665789281625831592010-08-05T11:29:00.005+03:002010-08-05T11:37:04.287+03:00I am back!Dear readers, after along looong silence, I am back. Having been ill since end of March and having major surgery with it the following convalescence, I have not been much around, just trying to cope with every day life for a long time. Then the heat wave in July mustered the rest of life out of me, and I was trying to cope with accelerating risk of dehydration. My main job seemed to be toMonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-5876856542956057322010-03-13T19:50:00.001+02:002011-02-23T12:18:13.513+02:00Spring in the airWaking up this morning I was surprised to see that the flag was hoisted outside my window and I began to wonder what the reason for the flagging was.To my awe I found out it was not printed in neither one of my calendars, and I do have two printed Finnish calendars, so turning to the news made me wiser. Today is an optional flagging day, that means it is only recommended to flag and not MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-75342852867762552802010-01-05T15:34:00.007+02:002010-01-05T16:49:14.961+02:00New Year with a bangIn time for the New Year's celebrations the law concerning firecrackers and fireworks here in Finland was revised, well actually slimmed down.Earlier you could bang your works and crackers (and excuse me if anyone got the wrong idea, this was absolutely not intentional) from 6 PM all night long until 6 AM the next morning. This New Year's Eve it was only from 6 PM until 2 in the morning. Selling MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-32006892868547108472009-12-21T10:02:00.004+02:002009-12-21T10:27:56.614+02:00White ChristmasThis year we will be celebrating a white Christmas here in Finland, and as it looks the same goes for many places elsewhere as well.Heavy snowfall and blizzards have delayed air travel and caused many road accidents also here in Finland. It is hard to fathom that the climate is warming up watching the news when heavy snowfall has hit areas where there normally is hardly no snow at all.It is sad MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-75031984104435326222009-12-19T10:36:00.006+02:002009-12-19T11:18:20.352+02:00Ham or not?Traditionally ham is eaten at Christmas in the Nordic countries, so also here in Finland.At this time of the year the supermarkets are full of hams in all sizes, ecologically grown and traditionally grown from various manufacturers salted in different ways and the prizes may vary quite a bit from where you live and which supermarket you shop in. This year the prizes may drop even more than MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-63401069065411897942009-12-17T14:14:00.003+02:002009-12-17T14:25:21.671+02:00Sunset all day longOnly one week to go before Christmas, and you can tell that when shopping, all shops are filled with shoppers and there are long queues at the check outs.At least the pre-holliday panick has not yet stricken, that is normally not detectible until next week, the day before Christmas Eve itself, and on Christmas Eve morning, the last desperate rush before the shops close for the hollidays. Spouses MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-68120168076775867482009-12-10T12:09:00.004+02:002011-02-23T12:54:44.399+02:00Strikes in seasonApart from the ginger bread and mulled wine this year's holiday season seems to have a new thing that is trendy and that is having a strike.Not like going bowling but as in walk out from your job.The financial industry is planning to begin their next week, as they want their fair share of the companies' profits. The union says that the cash machines will be running and that the wages and pension MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-27340325744820091572009-12-09T10:50:00.005+02:002009-12-19T11:20:10.212+02:00Reckless driversTraffic accidents with young adults have lately been on the rise in Finland.Alcohol is unfortunately all too often involved in the serious accidents involving younger people and sadly enough you too often read or hear about accidents with young men as drivers. Young men with fresh driver's licenses here in Finland, at least according to statistics, seem have a knack for driving fast and MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-3013943402293469262009-12-09T10:23:00.006+02:002009-12-09T11:20:24.565+02:00New flagging dayThe Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was born on the 8th December in 1865, and from the year 2011 this will be a national flagging day to commemorate his birth.Sibelius composed many music pieces inspired by the Finnish national epic Kalevala, as many of the artist of his time. His most famous work is Finlandia which by many Finns is considered to be the real Finnish anthem. Finlandia was MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-25959821828998671462009-12-03T13:02:00.007+02:002011-02-23T12:52:33.982+02:00Two plates policySince Finland joined the European Union the president has been able to take part in the summit in addition to the Prime minister at her own request, and the number the plates laid has so far been two, one for each partaker, the so called "Two plates policy".With the EU Lisbon treaty having been reinforced yesterday, a decision upon the issue has to be made as the number of participants has been MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-26620936273335437492009-12-01T11:40:00.007+02:002009-12-01T12:19:26.269+02:00Get to see your doctorI really hand another subject in mind when beginning to blog today but today's subject just took overhand of my writing.I had a call from a girl friend of mine about her husband who had noticed change in his behaviour of passing water as well as he's "the right age" and that's when you should see a doctor and so he did.Or at least he tried to. He called his doctor to get an appointment but couldMonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-3434666690776302702009-11-24T10:28:00.005+02:002009-11-24T11:15:32.842+02:00Better crop but less?This year's cereal crop in Finland is better than the average.At least that is what the headline of the news. According to what I read, 2009 is the third year in a row that the crop is bigger than normal according to the preliminary statistics from the Information Centre of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in Finland.Especially the wheat and barley crop were well above the average, but MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-39401829335392404252009-11-20T12:55:00.004+02:002009-11-24T11:18:39.580+02:00Sunday shoppingNow we have entered into the winter season's Sunday shopping, the shops are allowed to be open for business also on Sundays.This year with the novelty that yesterday the parliament finally granted for the Sunday openings to be continuous from the New year on. Before the decision was taken a lot was discussed about the prices going up as the wages for the employees will rise, as Sundays are more MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-27456531923962122732009-11-16T12:31:00.006+02:002011-02-23T12:34:09.066+02:00Biggest in palm oil?Sometimes the strain to go greener just gets plain ridiculous.Changing from green house gas producing energy sources to more green and renewable energy source alternatives seems to be just moving the global problem from one country to another as big corporations always just are big corporations and that even in the Finland.The major Finnish oil company plans to open two new bio-diesel refineries MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-911508265104006512009-11-11T10:50:00.000+02:002009-11-12T14:46:28.032+02:00Shot or no shot?Okay, so now it has happened, my first appointment that was cancelled because of the Pig flu.The person in question will be getting back to me next week when feeling better. And if not feeling better by next week, then who am I to turn to?!?I wonder if this Pig flu really is as dangerous as the media wants to make us believe. A pandemic it is that is for sure and some have died of it, but then MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-49959130337715787342009-11-09T10:32:00.010+02:002009-11-09T12:17:00.688+02:00Who's in charge?I have been quite satisfied with the Finnish health care system, especially the use of family doctors.Instead of seeing someone else every time you go to see a doctor, like when I first moved here, you today get to see the same one who already knows you, and about you, and you don't have to "tell everything from the beginning all over" about yourself. And there is of course the language question,MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-85903868801425231192009-11-05T10:53:00.006+02:002009-11-05T11:14:26.190+02:00Beware of removing tattoosBody art such as tattoos and piercings have become very popular here, and also with it the removal of permanent tattoos has risen. The piercings you just leave without attention and it heals itself, I guess.Anyway, the easiest way is to remove a tattoo is by laser, which vaporizes, or rather dissolves, the colour of the tattoo in the skin layers. Many beauty salons now offer this service and MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8659015311321869259.post-60443882622829810202009-11-04T10:42:00.004+02:002009-11-04T11:03:29.753+02:00Bathroom covered in sludgeI have always hated moving, the packing of things is a bore, the moving the stuff itself hell and the unpacking and sorting things out a stressful anti-climax.In the new place you never know how things work, as they are supposed to work and also do that most of the time. But here I am now waiting in the cold for the plumber to come around, as the janitor was not able to fix the radiator of the MonaOhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01076706187247000153noreply@blogger.com0