We didn’t plan to go on a winter holiday, but as I looked the calendar, I noticed that our girl has a winter break from nursery. So at day’s notice we decided to go to North of Finland to visit my mother. At first, I thought it is too difficult at four and especially with baby. You know, a long train trip! It would be so easy to stay home, right?
Luckily we had the energy to go for a holiday, because it was so worth it! The break has done it’s magic, maybe it is my mother’s cozy place or the effect spending time in a small town? Whatever it is, it is working for me every time, and I return back home feeling more relaxed and ready to face the challenges ahead.
During the week we have visited my favorite spot in Raahe, Mikonkari, where the landscape is always so magical – almost a dream-like. I have visited all the local second hand markets. With my girl we went to library and to eat waffles in the local café. And as a little town benefits, I made an appointment for a relaxing face and foot treatment in eco beauty salon in one days notice. The highlight of the morning has been walks with my mother’s dog alone in beautiful winter wonderland, even when it is cold, it doesn’t feel that cold when the sun is shining. And coffee: that we have been drinking a several cups a day – like we always do at my mother’s place.
It is wonderful to have this chance to return to my hometown, to return back to my roots. It feels safe to realize that some things stay the same, and my children are going to experience the same places as I did when I was little. It is a beauty to experience the slowness that this little town has in it: you know the people in the cafés and they have time to catch up, dog walkers have time to stop and say hello. You breath the slowness, and you know it is good for you.
After this leisurely holiday week, I have again realized how important it is that you have you close ones near, and you can spend time with them. I have also realized that for a holiday you don’t need to organize a big thing or too much action – what me and my family needs, it is to spent time together. The firstborn has enjoyed most of all that she can spend time with her grandma. My husband has enjoyed long walks on the iced sea and the beautiful winter weather. For me, I have enjoyed having conversations with my mother, the extra help (of course!) and by doing all the normal things that I usually do at my mother’s place.
This holiday week has once again prove, that you don’t have to go far away to go on a break, sometimes these small actions without planning and filling your days with schedule is all that your family needs. After all the meaning of a holiday is to relax, isn’t it?
Living between two cultures, what does it feel like?
I have not written much about this subject, but now that we have just returned home after spending a month in my home country, I want to share my thoughts about what it is like to live between two cultures, between France and Finland.
In a way I feel like I’m having an affair with my home country. Secretly I start to miss it every three months. In fact, according to my husband, I want to go to Finland every different season. Before Christmas I start to talk about a little autumn break in the north, then of course for Christmas we have to go to my hometown and experience the real winter. And then it is too long to wait for the summer to come. Again I start to ask: Can we go for a quick spring break? And then there is the Finnish summer – nightless nights, all that light and greenness – where else you can experience that than in a Nordic country?
Concretely, living between two cultures feels like this (or this is how I felt last week when we returned to Paris after spending a long period in Finland):
Firstly, our home felt strange and familiar at the same time. I kept opening drawers to find the scissors. The doors seemed to open in the wrong direction. And when I’m tired I start to mix Finnish and French. At the supermarket I said to the cashier “thanks” in Finnish. Merci, I tried to correct, embarrassed.
In the morning I secretly miss Finnish filter coffee “Kulta Katriina”, even when I have that perfect cappuccino in front of me.
Then there is always the moment when you feel lost because the routines that you kept in the other country, don’t work in the other. For example, in Finland I used to go for a walk with my daughter before the lunch hour. And afterwards she slept a couple of hours outside in pram. That does not work here! When we try to go step outside it starts to rain and she is not content. Besides, those daily walks are not so relaxing when the streets in Paris are too narrow even for a small pram. I return home and say to my husband: In Finland there are big snowflakes coming down – how lovely is that?!
The first week back is always difficult, and not only for myself, but for my husband, who has to listen to my complaining. And it’s the other way around when we go to Finland. I am sure this typical for bicultural couples. The grass is always greener on the other side, right?
Then a week goes by and then comes another one, and the everyday life gets you, and you just do what you have to do. The noise of scooters going by, the French language, your favorite bread at the local boulangerie and that Parisian life start to seem normal to you again.
And when life gets too hard, there are always those other Finns that live just around the corner, and they know precisely how you feel – the good and the bad.
I feel blessed that we got our mum home after a difficult surgery.
Almost all of my gang is at the same address during Christmas.
I feel relaxed, because we don’t need to run from place to place on Christmas Eve. We stay at my mum’s, visit the cemetery and my grandmum at the retirement home, and that’s about it.
And what I am going to do is this: put the woolen socks on, give myself a treat and eat quality chocolate and drink a couple of glasses of red wine and read. I’ve got lots of new books waiting. And of course I am going to give plenty of kisses to my little girl, who is going to be 10 months old soon.
I think Christmas is a good time to practice to being in the moment (not always so easy) and have a little break from social media.
This Christmas we are avoiding the concept of modern Christmas, it means that with the close ones we agreed not to buy presents. Instead, we concentrate on eating good but healthy food (and of course lots of chocolate).
To sum up, we are going to have a giftless, meatless and most of all relaxed kind of Christmas. I think we all feel less stressed already.
Vaikka Suomessa ei ollakaan varsinaisella lepolomalla, tulee loman tuntu jo siitä, että voinauttia aamukahvin pihakeinussa ja syventyä hetkeksilukemaan aluesanomalehteä ja paikallisuutisia. Siinä unohtuu, että kohta pitäisi avata tietokone tai kytkeä puhelimeen netti päälle. Itse asiassa olen kuin huomaamatta siirtynyt takaisin entisaikaan ennen matkapuhelimia, kun “mummolassa” kännykkää tulee katsottua ehkä kerran päivässä.
Kesälomafiilistä lisää myös se, kun ulkona työskennellessä voi kuulla naapurin leikkaavan nurmikkoa: se muistuttaa, että jollakin on vapaapäivä, ja ennen kaikkea siitä, että nyt on kesä.
Myös se tuntuu vapauttavalta, kun voinillalla ojentaa vauvan äidilleni, laittaa kuulokkeet korville ja lähteä juoksulenkille ilman sen ihmeellisempää lähtösuunnittelua tai aikataulujen laatimista.
On myös mukavaa, kunpöytään saa kattaa useamman lautasen ja laittaa keittiössä pata porisemaan. (Nyhtökauraakin on kokeiltu, mutta harmikseni siitä kohkataanenemmän kuin sitä oikeasti on saatavilla. Paikallismarketteihin nyhtökauraa tulee vain lauantaisin, ja jo illasta hyllypaikka on tyhjillään.)
Arkipäivärutiinia rikkovat myös vaunulenkit ja joutilaat vierailut lähikirpparille ja kierrätyskeskukseen.
Tietenkin lomavaihteen saa myös päälle se, kun ystävä viitsii tulla kauempaakin, pidemmän junamatkan päästä, moikkaamaan ranskanpastilleja (kuten veljelläni on tapana meistä puhua). Sittenmuistellaan menneitä saunan lauteilla ja jutellaan niitä näitä puolilleöin.
Mummolassa seinäkello kyllä lyö tasaista rytmiä, mutta kummallisesti se ajantaju katoaa – eikö se ole juuri merkki onnistuneesta lomasta?
It could be predicted that our holiday in Finland would be more of a change of working environment than anactual lazy holiday.
Still, the feeling of being on holiday grows when I can go outside to drink my morning coffee andimmerse myself in the local newspaper for a while. (Even with non-stop mosquito attacks.) In that moment I forget that soon I need to turn onthe computer or connect my mobile phone to the internet. Actually, here I have shifted, by accident, to a timebefore cell phones, asI hardly remember to look at my phone.
I also get asense of summer when I am working outside and hear that somebodyin the neighborhood ismowing the lawn. It means somebody is having a day off and most of all: it is summer!
For my part, asense of freedom is guaranteed when I can handthe baby overto my motherand put myheadphones on and go for a run inthe nature. And because it is light outall night long, it doesn’t matter ifit’s 10pm.
In a strange way I alsogetin a holiday mood when I cancook lunch and dinner for a bigger group. (And yes, we did try pulled oats, which is actually talked about more than it is available. In my hometown there is only a delivery on Saturdays, by Sunday morning there is nothing left.)
A little walkwith the pramto the local second-hand shops brings some change to my working day routines. It is liberating to enter these places with a pram andbrowse the stalls without anyone pushing me. That is an advantage in a small town: youhave all the space you need whereveryou go!
Of course a feeling of the “good old days” is guaranteed, when your friend comes to visit and stays over a couple of nights. It is time to reminisceand chat, drink ciderand relax in thesauna.
Atgrandma’s place the clock on the wall makes its monotonous tick-tack sound, but in my mind I forgetthe time – and isn’t that a sign that I am really on holiday?!
Kun viime päivät ollaan juostu ympäri kaupunkia, etsitty miehelle pukua elokuussa vietettäviin toisiin häihimme ja hoidettu muita kiireellisiä asioita, alkavat takaraivossa viimein fanfaarit soida, sillä ihan pian koittaa matka kotimaahan. Niin odotettu on tämä reissu, että lentolippujen lähtöpäivää piti aikaistaa.
Mitä sitten odotan tulevalta Suomen-reissulta? No, ainakin näitä asioita:
Valoisia öitä ja rauhallisia kesäaamuja. Vaikka heräisi missä päin muualla maailmassa helleaamuihin, ei mikään voita kotimaan, raikkaita kesäaamuja. Se tunne on voittamaton, kun voi nauttia aamukahvit kuistilla ja lukea paperista sanomalehteä omalla äidinkielellään. Nyt onneksi on mummin ylimääräinen käsipari hoitamassa pientä, niin mammalle suodaan rauhallinen lehdenlukuhetki – ja santsikuppikin.
Tyttömme kastejuhlat – ne vietetään äitini luona. Mansikkakakku täytyy ainakin juhliin saada.
Tästä päästään aasinsiltana kotimaisessa ruokakaupassa asioimiseen. Kun on asunut pari vuotta ulkomailla, tarkoittavat Suomen-vierailut aina tätä: ruisleipää, raejuustoa, Oltermannia, Fazerin keltaista…puhumattakaan ruokakauppojen laajasta hevi-osastosta. To do -listalla on myös kokeilla kohuttua nyhtökauraa.
Juoksulenkit raittiissa ilmassa, ilman että täytyy vilkaista netistä, onko ilmansaastetilanne punaisella. Olen hiljattain alkanut taas juosta, ja odotan malttamattomana niitä oikeasti terapeuttisia juoksulenkkejä raikkaassa meri-ilmastossa – kun on tilaa juosta, on tilaa omille ajatuksillekin.
Odotan myös vierailua kotipaikkakuntani uudistetussa uimahallissa, joka on ollut viimeisen vuoden ajan aina suljettu, kun olemme käyneet Suomessa. Eli siis asialistalla on viedä mieheni suomalaiseen uimahalliin.
Vaunulenkkejä oman koirani kanssa. Ranskaan muuton johdosta koirani asuu äitini ja hänen koiransa kanssa. Muutenkin halituokiot tuon mustan pörriäisen kanssa ovat puhdasta kultaa. (Saapa muuten nähdä, että miten koirani reagoi uuteen tulokkaaseen?! Aviomiehestäni koirani on niin mustasukkainen, että – muuten niin rauhallisena – haukkuu aina hänelle.)
No saunaa nyt tietenkin.
Perheen ja ystävien näkemistä. Äitiäni lukuun ottamatta muut perheenjäsenet eivät ole vielä nähneet tytärtäni. Isäni, veljeni ja mummoni odottavat jo kärsimättöminä tätä suurta hetkeä. Odotan myös näkeväni serkkuni vastasyntyneen vauvan.
Perinteisiä koti-iltoja, kun voi avata telkkarin. Emme omista televisiota, joten Suomen-reissuihin sisältyy myös tämä bonus. On nautinnollista katsoa telkkaria, kun se kuuluu elämään harvinaisena hemmotteluhetkenä. Jokapäiväisessä elämässä en voisi sietää ajatusta, että olohuoneen keskiössä tilaa hallitsi telkkari – saati, että se olisi taustahälynä jatkuvasti päällä.
Kotimaisten lehtien lukemista. Olen suuri aikakauslehtien kuluttaja ja silppuaja. Suoraan sanottuna hamstraan jo lentokentältä kasan lehtiä. Ainakin uudistunut Trendi ja Image on hankittava. Tavallisesti äitini luona käyn myös läpi vanhoja lehtiarkistoja ja leikkelen parhaimmat ideakuvat talteen.
Hääjärjestelyjen edistämistä. Järjestämme toiset häämme kotipaikkakunnallani elokuussa (virallisestihan menimme naimisiin Pariisissa jo joulukuussa). Tällä Suomen-vierailulla käymme katsomassa sisältä juhlapaikkaa, tilaamme kakut ja ideoimme juhlapaikan koristelua.
Lisäksi paikalliskirjastossa ja kirpputoreilla on myös vierailtava.
Sään suhteen en uskalla toivoa mitään. Yllätyn positiivisesti, mikäli tarkenemme pyöräillä ilman pipoa ja hanskoja.
”Ei se lämpötila, vaan vehreys!”
In the past few days we have been running around Paris, in order to look for a suit for my husband and to take care other things. Then there has been that flooded house near Paris that my husband partly owns. So he has been busy trying to save old stuff, like photos and books that his father has written. With all this, a holiday is more than needed. Luckily in a few days we are heading to peaceful Northern Finland, sure as always that in a little town you can get your much needed rest.
From the upcoming trip to Finland I expect the following things…
Bright summer nights (althought for my husband it might be a bit difficult to sleep) and early mornings when you can drink your filtered coffee on the terrace and read a newspaper in your native language. When my mother is there I can easily imagine that there will be a moment that I can actually read that newspaper and get another cup of fresh coffee.
My daughter’s christening which will be held at my mother’s place. At least I need to bake a cake with strawberries on it.
Eating Finnish food, such as dark bread, cottage cheese, Fazer chocolate…Also, it is always a pleasure to visit a Finnish supermarket and its large fruit and vegetable section. Of course, I will have to try the new innovation ”pulled oats”, which was created in Finland. Pulled oads is supposed to be a substitute for meat and you can use it in cooking.
Going running in the fresh air and in a peaceful environment near the sea. It’s more than therapeutic when you have enough space to run and you don’t have to check on the internet if the pollution is too bad for running.
Also, I want to take to my husband to a public indoor swimming pool, which has reopened recently in my hometown. And of course to go to a gym and do other sports too.
The sauna, of course!
Seeing my family and friends. It will be a big day when my father, my brother and my grandmother meet our baby for the first time.
Doing long walks with my baby in the pram and with my dog. (My dog has been living with my mother since I moved to Paris. Of course, long cuddling sessions are waiting around the corner, too.)
Just those simple evenings at home when you can turn on the tv. We don’t own a television, so it is always a pleasure when every once in a while I get a chance to watch tv. Otherwise, I don’t like the idea that a television would be present in our everyday life. I hate it when the tv is on in the background!
Reading Finnish magazines. Normally I buy some as soon as I get to the airport. It is such a pleasure! Also, I go through my old stuff and magazines. Sometimes I cut the magazines to archive some idea pictures in a folder. An old-fashioned woman – yes, I am!
To move our wedding plans forward. We are organizing our second wedding in August in my hometown (we did get married last December in Paris, but we want to organize a second wedding for my family and friends in Finland). So we need to go look at the wedding venue from the inside and plan the decorations, order cakes and flowers. A lot to do, but at least I have sent the wedding invitations already, that is a start, isn’t it?!
Also, in Finland I want to visit the local public library and the second-hand markets. That is a tradition. I especially love the library in my hometown. The Finnish public library system I do miss here in Paris.
As for the weather in Finland, I am not getting my hopes up. I will be positively surprised if I can ride a bike without a hat and gloves.
”It is not about the weather, it is the greenness that matters!”
(The pictures are from the last summer when we were in Finland.)
