You may notice that some Finns are a bit shy to use a foreign language, especially in a group conversation. One thing you may find a bit peculiar is our great tolerance of silence in conversation. Well, what are we really like? We think that we are a fairly straightforward people: we say what we mean, and we mean what we say; if a Finn suggests that you could have lunch together sometime, you are usually to consider this as a real invitation, not just small talk. We have a dislike of artificiality, of lfputting on airslt. In fashion, comfort is often
(although not always) considered more important than looks. Life in Finland has a relaxed pace. In fact, the older generation is occasionally of the opinion that things are becoming a bit too lax. The more formal forms of address are rarely heard among the young, although older people still appreciate more formality, such as a polite hand shake on being introduced. Hand shaking is also common in business meetings, both on arrival and departure. At work the atmosphere tends to be informal, first names are used and people dress informally. Equality between the sexes has progressed quite a way, both at work and home, although the final goal has not been reached everywhere.

A particular Finnish trait is the habit of drinking milk or sourmilk with meals, even adults do this. Others prefer mineral water or beer, and even the wineculture is making headway. As a nation, we love quizzes and competitions of all kinds, and it may be this characteristic that underlies our craze for sports. The Finns are also crazy about coffee, which is odd, when you come to think about it: the coffee beans themselves grow quite a way away. You will rapidly get used to the fact that when Finns get together for a chat, coffee is invariably part of the
scene. But note that the coffee in Finland is usually not as strong as in Central and Southern Europe.

Sisu is a concept used to describe a certain feature that is considered by Finns to be typically Finnish. Sisu is what makes a Finn grit his teeth against all odds; continue fighting against an overwhelming enemy; clear the forest with his bare hands; go on to win a race even after falling over. Sisu is lswhat it takeslg: guts, determination.But, after all, please keep in mind that people are not all alike and these are generalisations. Your own experiences with Finns might give you a totally different opinion. You will find supplementary information about Finns and Finnish culture on the Internet at
http://finland.cimo.fi ( used as a source of information for above)
http://www.kulttuuri.net.

16.2 SAUNA
Sauna is an essential part of the Finnish culture. There are five million inhabitants and one and a half million saunas in Finland. For Finnish people sauna is a place for relaxing with friends and family, a place for physical and spiritual relaxation. Finns think of saunas not so much as a luxury, but as a necessity, and after trying a few saunas you will probably agree.

Practically every Finnish house has a sauna of its own. There are also public saunas available at such places as swimming pools and student dormitories (please ask the Elli housing office for the sauna schedule in your building). Please note that it is not customary for men and women to go to the sauna together, unless they are members of the same family or particularly close friends.

What do you do in a Finnish sauna? First, having undressed, you take a shower (without soap) and enter the sauna still wet (although some prefer to enter sauna dry first). The temperatures in a sauna usually range from 60º to 100º Celsius. Sit back for a while and let the heat permeate your body and open the pores of the skin. The stones on top of the stove in the corner are very hot and when you throw water on them, a humid cloud of steam suddenly fills the small room. Your face gently burns and your body sweats. There are several tips on how to bathe in a Finnish sauna, but rule number one is that you should feel good all the time. After a short while, you take a break. You can take another shower (without soap) before re-entering the sauna and then take your time to relax and enjoy the warmth. The process is repeated several times. After the final time in sauna, wash yourself off in a cool, refreshing shower (this time using soap, shampoo, etc.) to complete your relaxation.

Many Finns have saunas at their summer cottages by the literally tens of thousands of lakes in Finland, and a sauna is not complete without a refreshing swim, usually when you leave the sauna for a break. In the winter, sauna veterans will even make a hole in the ice and take a dip in the icy water (approx. +3º to +5º Celsius) or roll around in the snow. You can also try the vasta (or vihta as they say in Western Finland), a thick wisp, or bunch, of birch twigs. Dip it into warm water and then gently beat yourself all over with it Œ it feels better than it
sounds! http://www.sauna.fi/ The Finnish Sauna Society

16.3 SNOWBOUND
Those of you who have not experienced a Nordic winter before may have a lot of questions in mind. To help you come to terms with the winter season, it might help you to not think of it as a long, monotonous period of darkness, cold and snow, but as a sequence of several distinct phases, each of which has an atmosphere of its own. By accepting it as it comes, you will find the winter in Joensuu a richly rewarding experience.

At the first sign of winter, the streets occasionally get filled with slush, but eventually everything gets covered up with real snow. The months from December to February are a time of stillness. The sun always rises above the horizon in this part of Finland, but the light hours are not many during midwinter, and sometimes the weight of the dark hours seems to rest heavily on everyone's shoulders. As for the temperature, a typical midwinter reading in Joensuu would be something between -5° and -15° C, but sometimes it gets colder, even down
to -30° C. Fortunately, Finnish houses (including student flats) are equipped with triple-glass windows and central heating, so you will have no reason to worry. However, in cold weather, when you go out, it is always wise to be wary of frostbite Œ this is best done by appropriate clothing (woollen cap, mittens, warm shoes, etc.). But do not let this discourage you from going out, since very cold days have an atmosphere of their own which you should not miss!

After the winter solstice in December, the amount of light steadily - although slowly - increases again. However, you need to wait until the end of March until the day once more outlasts the night (spring equinox). The day becomes longer and longer and although it still might snow a little occasionally, the snow gradually melts away. Spring is slowly but surely on the way again and soon it is the time of the light nights of the Nordic summer.