Chapter 2: Western Europe (Finland)

So when I got into Helsinki my first reaction was sort of shock. Shocked at how clean everything was, how the streets had proper drainage, and how bourgeois everyone was. How all the men over 35 had little trendy euro-glasses and turtlenecks, and how everyone spoke english with basically no accent.

I felt at ease.

But then, as I got to know the Finns better, I decided that they are cool. Because they embody a lot of things that I belive in: they are liberal and tolerant, they are quiet in public, and they are friendly. Especially the young finnish people. Here is an example:

I went to a record store and asked the guy if he knew when the new Annie album is coming out. Here's how the conversation would have gone in America:
Clerk: Who?
Me: Annie. You know, she's Norwegian, pop singer...
Clerk: Yeah, just a second... No, its not in our computer. Sorry.

and in Russia:
Clerk: What?!
Me: Annie, she's an... a norwegian singer.
Clerk. What?!?!?! No. I don't know.

but in Finland the guy said in perfect english:
"Yeah, I think it got delayed until, like, May or something." and he said it with a perfect mixture of sympathy so that I didn't regret asking him at all.

But the main thing about Helsinki wasn't the attractions, which were nice, but the fact that it was very pleasant, with nice buildings that were very angular and attractive but not suffocatingly so, and it was safe, and also I was there mainly to meet my friend Erich, who had been studying in Germany, so we mostly walked for many hours every day and talked a lot.

We went to a nice modern art museum, tried to decipher swedish captions at the history museum (only 5% ish of finland are native swedish speakers, but the whole country has to learn the language and write stuff in two languages. sux.)

so it would be cool to visit finland again. most places i like to say, "it was fun to visit, but i wouldn't want to live there," but i think the reverse is more true for finland. not that it wasn't fun to visit.

but you can't buy beer after 8 pm. even in gas stations.