I would love love love to live in the most podunk place of Finland. I don’t think I will ever get a chance because work and visa, but even if it was the most out of the way town I would love to do it even if it was a fraction of one year or whatever I could do.
i would love to trade your "exciting" for my "mundane" because honestly, I just had two kids and would love to be able to have their mother home for it. she's the one with a high paying job.
A podunk place in Finland is probably a nicer place to live than in some middle class urban areas in less privileged countries, so I get the sentiment.
Not OP but would move anywhere cold to escape the heat. It's becoming unbearable. You can cover up, drink warm beverages when it's cold but you cannot combat the heat in the same way.
Absolutely glorious temperature, I remember going for walks last December while abroad on the states and getting between 2°C and 5°C and it was just *chef's kiss*
Its more like to sate curiosity, i must go there myself. It wont be as satisfying if someone just tells me. I want to see it. How does anyone even have vehicles here? The road looks rough af. What do the people look like? Are they nice? What kind of shops does this town have? Where could i sleep? Is it coastal or inland? I must see.
They buy the vehicles. Yes. Normal. Yes, but they don't talk with strangers. Normal stores. Tent. I don't know.
I live in the 5th largest city in Finland and it's so boring. I used to live in a town of 20k residents 40km (beeline) from Russian border and it was even more empty. There's nothing to do and I'm jealous of people in Helsinki or Germany etc. The trees are also same looking in the whole country. In the winter, it looks like black and white film sometimes as everything is covered in snow and the sky is grey. Everything is just grey, no color.
I always thought those kind of places was like the south in the USA, in some ways. I see all the videos of the russian rednecks with their trucks or tractors in the mud, it's cuz nobody has anything to do lmao.
I mean after work you've got a bar and a church (if you're into that). There's pretty much nothing to do except hang out with friends and neighbors. I lived in a town of maybe 1000 as a kid and although it was fun then, I most likely couldn't stand it now. There was only a bank and a small store and gas station near. The closest town of 20k residents was 40 km away and a city of 200k almost 300km away. I'm used to being able to go buy computer parts or car parts in half an hour. There you'd have to order it online.
I do like that there was a national park near and the nature is pretty. But if you're not into that there's nothing to do.
Edit. But I do also understand you. I'd like to visit rural Russia and especially Siberia (politics aside) because I want to know how it feels to be actually in the middle of nowhere. Some places there aren't even roads but only rail tracks or makeshift roads. I'm sure living there is awful unless you were born there and even then people move away. I'd like to explore the nature and just be free in the middle of nowhere.
Please do elaborate.
Keep in mind your audience may contain people both from fancy European suburbs, Siberian podunk towns, American megapoleis, desert villages etc. So something you'd be describing as a detriment may as well be a very lovely thing and vice versa.
Keep in mind that during the summer months it gets above 30 and it is humid AF, which makes that 32 degrees Celsius feels like 45 or more. And since it’s so humid you cannot sweat to cool down.
And the sun is up in the middle of the sky for 5 or 6 hours straight.
I come from south Europe and the summers here in the Nordic are much much tougher for me.
i once went on an exchange to Kajaani for what was supposed to be a month, but after a week we had to go back because Finnair was cancelling all their flights because of covid, in the end im glad i wasnt there for the full month, even within a week there it was starting to bum me out
Yeah, those towns out there in the middle of nowhere are... depressing.
I get it, if one was born there and lived for a long time, they are quite alright. You make do. But thrown in one of these places as an outsider is just sad.
That shot was close to be mistaken as Russian yard
Just add a couple of accents: replace buildings with khruschevki, bury a few colored tires in the ground and put some chilling babkas near the entrance👌
and [almost 50%](https://imgur.com/a/ayWFCGZ) of russians still live in them :(
*the stats include Brezhnevki, which are a bit more comfy, but still ugly as shit.*
It is... It has many nice things but the overall vibe of it when it is not summer is super depressing and creepy. It is also disturbingly quiet, even if you're in Helsinki center. A lot of times you get the sensation that there is nobody besides you in town.
Yep, on the phone with my partner (living near Oslo, while I’m in Italy) last night. Asked if she planned the tires change already.
The answer was just an hysterical laugh. Followed by what I interpreted as a muted sobbing.
And in Sweden. We got some snow early in the week after getting 14-15 °C last weekend, and I wanted to smash my head through a wall or something. So goddamn tired of winter and cold, I do *not* want to live here anymore.
Honestly though, my suggestion would be to take Norway, Sweden, Finland (and maybe Denmark if they promise to remove the porridge from their mouths when they talk) and just slice our countries away from where they are and place them somewhere in the Pacific ocean, perhaps as the United States Of The Nords (because we're not in the Nordics anymore, but still... Nordic people)!
I mean, ski tourism would die out, and maybe our native plants and some animals too... But eh, totally worth it!
God I need that so bad. I live by a train right now, it’s going by shaking my house as I’m typing. I just crave quiet. Plus I wouldn’t mind living in silent hill
Brazil has one of the best weathers in the world depending where you live, there is a lot of beaches and the florests look gorgeous. People can even show more skin which makes them more attractive.
Colonization has impacts on a country's development even when it's over.
Europeans did not needed to bring slavery to the rest of the world, or suppress the population that was asking for independence and the end of their exploitation by a foreign country.
>A lot of times you get the sensation that there is nobody besides you in town.
Never felt this way even in small towns and villages (like 2k-10k inhabitants). Maybe at midnight yes, but during the day there are always some people around, especially in the centre of Helsinki.
The buildings look structurally intact, not a single piece of trash laying around, everything is clean aside from the winter mud on the road. Looks alright by my standards.
Seriously, some people have it way too good. I'd love to live in a place like this. If the only depressing thing is the weather fucking sign me up. I feel like some people just actively try to find reasons to be depressed.
Fun fact: lack of sun exposure does make you physically more depressed due to to less Vit D production by your body....it's highly recommended to take Vit D supplements if you live in such regions to fight the very real winter depression these people get.
So yeah people aren't actively trying to be depressed, the weather is literally having biophysical imact on thier mental health, something that people in sunny regions can't relate to and often don't know is a real phenomenon.
That will always be more prone on cold and dark climates. But the sheer quality of life is just astronomical higher than in most other countries. Idk how you would measure it
Im not so sure about that. Depression due to lack of sunlight and vitamin D is a sickness for some specific people. It does not affect everyone or most of the population in my opinion. Also I’m pretty sure polls have been done. What would you say would be ranked as the happiest country in the world?
It definitely affects population and it's ignored in happiness index. I'm not sure if worldwide polls have been done. My guess would be Switzerland or Lichtenstein, but that's just my guess
I feel like it also has to do with the social lifestyle, I’ve noticed Northeastern/Nordic Europeans and Northeastern Asians are painfully socially inept or extremely introverted to the point where even greeting someone you don’t know is seen as weird. Southern Europeans tend to be happier because aside from their climate, they value friendships, going out, staying close with family, still have Christian values even if 50% of the the country are agnostics, northeastern Asians are obsessed with money and toxic beauty standards, their culture is all about work and wanting to better than everyone else.
I'm from Northern Europe.
Except for religion (not a fan and we don't need it), I think you're right.
I mean fair, it does foster a certain togetherness and sense of community and shared values.
But I don't think we need that *anyway*, or rather, we could find something else that gives us that.
You're overgeneralizing about people being introverted and socially inept though (I mean, sure some of us are...)
It's true that we do think it's weird to greet people you don't know, that's just something society has cooked up throughout the years and not necessarily due to introversion. In general we do think that if somebody says hello and tries to strike up a conversation on the street or whatever, they're either a) crazy, b) drunk or high, c) both crazy and drunk/high d) trying to get us to donate money to a cause, e) join a cult, or f) that they're not from Sweden.
And it's unfortunate, because of course when you grow up with the idea that it's *weird* to be greeted by strangers and something you should be wary of, you start thinking it's very uncomfortable when it happens.
I would love to talk to more people when out and about and make new friends, but at this point it's very much impossible, because people would NOT be receptive towards strangers.
That’s a bit of a big generalization but I agree that in poorer countries and or rural countries there are a more folksy vibes. People share more because they survived like that once and a lot of those people know what it means to be hungry, so small things like sharing a meal and stuff is a bigger deal. But in the nordics everyone is pretty well off and very independent. So there is no NEED of a very broad social network but it doesn’t mean we don’t have it.
Not saying that all of those countries in the south or the people are all poor but the culture is still there.
It’s also why you can see on a graph where people are more likely to give you a meal if you visit. It’s always the places that are or have been very poor recently
It’s so suffocating to be in a culture where people act like you’re the weirdo for doing small niceties (keeping the door open for another person, smiling)
Yeah, I remember studying abroad in Shizuoka and I just felt uncomfortable the whole time, people rarely spoke to each other, everyone seemed so socially inept and unhappy, like literal NPCs, and since I look sorta Mediterranean, I stood out like a sore thumb so I’d get weird looks but whenever I was the one to look back, I was the weird and rude one, I don’t care how many people claim how horrible America is, I love it here, the people here are 10x friendlier and it’s so easy to stir up conversations here (especially since I live in Texas) being over there made me realize how important human interaction really is, and I tend to be introverted, but holy shit, I don’t wanna stereotype anyone but Japan was something else.
I would probably find it suffocating to be in a culture where strangers are constantly making small talk with me. I think it's mostly difficult to get used to something very different from what one has grown up with.
I do think people here in Northern Europe, despite being cold externally can often appreciate you holding up the door for them.
With the exception of some femi-nazis that might take offense that you would think that they couldn't open the door themselves, lol.
Edit: since some people can't seem to understand subtext - I'm not calling feminists "femi-nazis", they are two separate things.
Axxo47 is right. If you ask ANY of us, everyone will tell you exactly the sentiments that Axxo47 and I are telling you all.
We’re not a country of happy people.
I know its depression rates are due to the cold and etc and other factors but I simple can't understand, I would kill to live in a developed, cold and quiet place like that 😩😩
C'mon now, the spring melt is going on. I'm Canadian, and my city looks identical right now. It'll probably look much better in the winter and in the summer.
This is not bad. What’s bad about Finland is not mud or architecture, but that there’s absolutely nothing to do. Been to Helsinki couple of times, stayed for over a week. Everything closes early, streets are empty, eerily quiet. Outrageously boring.
A Finn here. I don't know. I do everything that other young people do elsewhere?
I don't think places close earlier than usual? In fact I think places are even more accessible for their opening hours than in many Central European countries. And most big grocery shops are open 24/7.
Unless it's the night life we're talking about. Go to the Netherlands, Germany, Poland or somewhere else for that, if wild shit or so tightly packed nightclubs that you don't have room to breathe is what you're looking for.
Streets are empty because it's rainy or snowy and cold as all hell for 8 months.
Lack of imagination I say. And a language barrier.
What, you guys have grocery shops open 24/7?
It's something that I'm sorely missing here in Sweden tbh, shops close somewhat early-ish and finding places open late when you realize you need something is nearly impossible unless it's a shitty 7-Eleven or something.
Also, our clubs and bars close laughably early, which seems to be true for Finland as well from your post.
I think it's sad honestly, even though my clubbing days are mostly... In the past.
I think there's a cultural value in a solid nightlife, and in that clubs and bars are definitely a big part, and I can say that in Stockholm it's even gotten worse in comparison to say, 10 years ago.
Clubs are closing to the left and right because new people move into the neighborhoods where the clubs are and start complaining about noise levels which forces the clubs to shut down, and then we have one of the biggest areas for nightlife and clubs currently planned to be rebuilt to apartment buildings.
It doesn't help that most places close at 1AM or 3AM either. Like sure, I can't remember the last time I was out that late since I'm a boring guy in his 30's now, but I still think that there should be more places open until at least 5.
Just strolling around such streets in the evening is fun. I’m used to streets that are several kilometers long filled with bars and restaurants, you can walk past and see hundreds of people eating and drinking outside, music playing, street musicians, 24/7 coffee shops. It’s great and it feels like city is alive.
Stockholm was very pretty, I loved museums and historical places, but in the evening it felt like everyone goes to sleep. Very usual for a tourist “let’s go out and walk around” at ~9 pm felt like we were in a ghost town.
Interesting. Seattle even have some more nightlife even though some of the areas can be dangerous, there are a lot of folks going out to eat, i saw lots of people just jogging or walking their pups too.
Lack of any night/bar life and public events. Central streets are empty and it feels like everyone goes to bed at 8 pm.
I’m just used to 24/7 cities with streets buzzing with hundreds of bars and clubs open at night with people eating and drinking, talking outside, street musicians, night lights.
In the day- open street markets, public events, fun activities in the city for kids and adults. It’s pretty much daily here.
Helsinki felt pretty dead in that regard. All I can remember is a large mall in the centre, couple of coffee shops around that closed early and nothing else. Same for Norway and Sweden. Museums are great but cities felt like British wedding- have a biscuit and a cup of tea and go home.
We went skiing for couple of weeks in a town nearby- that was great. Lots of things to do for activities. But city itself is kinda dead. It’s probably because of very tiny population, Helsinki has less people than 1 district of Moscow for example, so I guess there would be way less activities to do.
Tbh this is true for many European countries. The most bombastic cities I’ve seen are London, Berlin, Moscow especially, Minsk, Riga, Amsterdam.
Me and my friend used to hang around at the mall, go to the movies, hang around at the park until around 10pm, play outside and explore random nature we could, this was in 2010s america. I feel like kids today dont do the same things anyway, they probably just hang out online instead.
If you don't find stuff to do in Helsinki that's on you. There are bands playing somewhere every weekend, lots of clubs and bars if that's your vibe, a ton of museums and art galleries. Many movie theaters, some showing smaller indie films or old classics no longer in normal theaters. Take a walk in nature, even in Helsinki you can get to proper woods in like 30 min. Go shopping in one of the many shopping centers or smaller businesses all around Helsinki (especially the city center). Go eat at a fancy restaurant.
I’m not sure I’ve encountered Finnish PR yet, I just really like Nordic countries. I like cold, gloomy weather, I like trains, I like auroras, I like socialist democracies (or countries that might pass as having that I guess) and I like languages that have way too many grammatical cases.
That’s why I love Iceland and Norway as well.
I went to Finland at this time of year in 2022. There was still thick snow on the ground, the docks were frozen, it was about -2°C, and most of the tourist attractions were still closed for winter. In April.
Helsinki is a cool and attractive city but I could not deal with those winters. I struggle enough with winters in the UK and we have it comparatively easy. That’s why they need sisu I suppose.
What is it with this Nordic style vernacular architecture?
I’m in Iceland at the moment and the buildings here are such industrial pieces of shit.
Is it the cold weather? Because the insides are cozy AF but the exterior looks like dog shit legos designed be a broke 5 year old.
Well in finland atleast lots of buildings like these had to be built quickly and cheaply when more and more people started moving into the cities during the 60's-80s.
Come to [Sutton Park](https://eu-assets.simpleview-europe.com/birmingham-visit/imageresizer/?image=%2Fdmsimgs%2FSutton_Park_85739525.jpg&action=ProductDetailProFullWidth) and say that.
I often think about how disgustingly grey these type of apartments are, but then again, it’s nice that there’s somewhat affordable housing depending on where you live.
That's really not too bad. A whitewashed overcast sky can be very comfortable. The ground looks a bit crap now in between winter and spring for sure. The buildings aren't pretty but they are maintained and warm, rather than decrepit commieblocks falling to pieces.
And that place is quiet and safe. If you cannot invent things to do to pass the time, that is your own problem.
I would think that a paved road would make it look a little better. Nonetheless the Finnish have a beautiful language and a deep understanding of self reflection with their well engineered saunas. I hope I can have one of my own in the states.
I would love love love to live in the most podunk place of Finland. I don’t think I will ever get a chance because work and visa, but even if it was the most out of the way town I would love to do it even if it was a fraction of one year or whatever I could do.
May I ask why? Edit: also, podunk is a great word, had to google it.
I live in a podunk town already, your mundane is exciting for me.
Actually not mine but we have the same in Sweden as well haha. I wouldn’t want to live there but to each his own! :)
i would love to trade your "exciting" for my "mundane" because honestly, I just had two kids and would love to be able to have their mother home for it. she's the one with a high paying job.
Tom Bombadillo! Are your boots yellow?!
Bright blue my hat is, and my boots are yellow!
A podunk place in Finland is probably a nicer place to live than in some middle class urban areas in less privileged countries, so I get the sentiment.
Not OP but would move anywhere cold to escape the heat. It's becoming unbearable. You can cover up, drink warm beverages when it's cold but you cannot combat the heat in the same way.
The moment i posted this, it was around 4°c
Absolutely glorious temperature, I remember going for walks last December while abroad on the states and getting between 2°C and 5°C and it was just *chef's kiss*
Kinda off topic but personally if its like around -10c°, im fine but if its any beyond that its not funny anymore
Oh yeah I definitely understand
I learned something today
Same! I thought the picture looked interesting. But then again, I grew up in a very, very rural town in Alaska. :)
What about this picture looks interesting?
Its more like to sate curiosity, i must go there myself. It wont be as satisfying if someone just tells me. I want to see it. How does anyone even have vehicles here? The road looks rough af. What do the people look like? Are they nice? What kind of shops does this town have? Where could i sleep? Is it coastal or inland? I must see.
They buy the vehicles. Yes. Normal. Yes, but they don't talk with strangers. Normal stores. Tent. I don't know. I live in the 5th largest city in Finland and it's so boring. I used to live in a town of 20k residents 40km (beeline) from Russian border and it was even more empty. There's nothing to do and I'm jealous of people in Helsinki or Germany etc. The trees are also same looking in the whole country. In the winter, it looks like black and white film sometimes as everything is covered in snow and the sky is grey. Everything is just grey, no color.
I always thought those kind of places was like the south in the USA, in some ways. I see all the videos of the russian rednecks with their trucks or tractors in the mud, it's cuz nobody has anything to do lmao.
I mean after work you've got a bar and a church (if you're into that). There's pretty much nothing to do except hang out with friends and neighbors. I lived in a town of maybe 1000 as a kid and although it was fun then, I most likely couldn't stand it now. There was only a bank and a small store and gas station near. The closest town of 20k residents was 40 km away and a city of 200k almost 300km away. I'm used to being able to go buy computer parts or car parts in half an hour. There you'd have to order it online. I do like that there was a national park near and the nature is pretty. But if you're not into that there's nothing to do. Edit. But I do also understand you. I'd like to visit rural Russia and especially Siberia (politics aside) because I want to know how it feels to be actually in the middle of nowhere. Some places there aren't even roads but only rail tracks or makeshift roads. I'm sure living there is awful unless you were born there and even then people move away. I'd like to explore the nature and just be free in the middle of nowhere.
I live in a podunk town in finland, and when I say you don’t want to live here, trust me. You DO NOT want to live here.
Please do elaborate. Keep in mind your audience may contain people both from fancy European suburbs, Siberian podunk towns, American megapoleis, desert villages etc. So something you'd be describing as a detriment may as well be a very lovely thing and vice versa.
Sounds like an actual shithole. No shade on the commenter.
Nah bro I'm from a 3rd world country, I would kill to live there And it's hot as fuck here all year
Keep in mind that during the summer months it gets above 30 and it is humid AF, which makes that 32 degrees Celsius feels like 45 or more. And since it’s so humid you cannot sweat to cool down. And the sun is up in the middle of the sky for 5 or 6 hours straight. I come from south Europe and the summers here in the Nordic are much much tougher for me.
i once went on an exchange to Kajaani for what was supposed to be a month, but after a week we had to go back because Finnair was cancelling all their flights because of covid, in the end im glad i wasnt there for the full month, even within a week there it was starting to bum me out
Yeah, those towns out there in the middle of nowhere are... depressing. I get it, if one was born there and lived for a long time, they are quite alright. You make do. But thrown in one of these places as an outsider is just sad.
Podunk land 4 ever
I recommend kuusankoski. Google it. Beautiful small town close to helsinki
You haven't seen Russia
That shot was close to be mistaken as Russian yard Just add a couple of accents: replace buildings with khruschevki, bury a few colored tires in the ground and put some chilling babkas near the entrance👌
I thought it was Russia until I read Finland in the title. And I live in Finland
>khruschevki Had to look up that word. They are so ugly.
and [almost 50%](https://imgur.com/a/ayWFCGZ) of russians still live in them :( *the stats include Brezhnevki, which are a bit more comfy, but still ugly as shit.*
actually what u described is far more rare to see nowadays. they started to renovate or demolish old buildings now
Or any post-soviet country
It is... It has many nice things but the overall vibe of it when it is not summer is super depressing and creepy. It is also disturbingly quiet, even if you're in Helsinki center. A lot of times you get the sensation that there is nobody besides you in town.
This looks like your typical nordic thaw season. It’s like that here in Norway too.
Got a lovely 10mm of fresh snow overnight here in southern Norway 🥴🥴 Second month of spring baybeeeee
I spoke too soon, woke up to the white powder here in Innlandet ❄️🌨️ Thaw season continues perhaps next week!
Yep, on the phone with my partner (living near Oslo, while I’m in Italy) last night. Asked if she planned the tires change already. The answer was just an hysterical laugh. Followed by what I interpreted as a muted sobbing.
And in Sweden. We got some snow early in the week after getting 14-15 °C last weekend, and I wanted to smash my head through a wall or something. So goddamn tired of winter and cold, I do *not* want to live here anymore. Honestly though, my suggestion would be to take Norway, Sweden, Finland (and maybe Denmark if they promise to remove the porridge from their mouths when they talk) and just slice our countries away from where they are and place them somewhere in the Pacific ocean, perhaps as the United States Of The Nords (because we're not in the Nordics anymore, but still... Nordic people)! I mean, ski tourism would die out, and maybe our native plants and some animals too... But eh, totally worth it!
That sounds absolutely amazing.
>A lot of times you get the sensation that there is nobody besides you in town. As someone that lives in an overpopulated overpriced city, sign me up.
Maybe it's not overpopulated, but the Nordics are still overpriced as hell 😂
That sounds wonderful.
God I need that so bad. I live by a train right now, it’s going by shaking my house as I’m typing. I just crave quiet. Plus I wouldn’t mind living in silent hill
Still better than fucking middle east
Or here in Eastern Europe 💀 most non-capital cities are such hellscapes I barely go out in winter
To be fair I think Hell itself is the only challenger to the middle east for worst living experience
Or Brazil
Brazil has one of the best weathers in the world depending where you live, there is a lot of beaches and the florests look gorgeous. People can even show more skin which makes them more attractive.
Wanna trade? lol If given the chance, I believe over 90% of Brazilians under 30 would go live in a first-world country.
But that's because the first world fucked us over with colonialism.
Eh. Every year Brazil extracts more gold than the entirety of what we sent to Portugal. We have no one to blame but ourselves.
Colonization has impacts on a country's development even when it's over. Europeans did not needed to bring slavery to the rest of the world, or suppress the population that was asking for independence and the end of their exploitation by a foreign country.
>A lot of times you get the sensation that there is nobody besides you in town. Never felt this way even in small towns and villages (like 2k-10k inhabitants). Maybe at midnight yes, but during the day there are always some people around, especially in the centre of Helsinki.
The buildings look structurally intact, not a single piece of trash laying around, everything is clean aside from the winter mud on the road. Looks alright by my standards.
Seriously, some people have it way too good. I'd love to live in a place like this. If the only depressing thing is the weather fucking sign me up. I feel like some people just actively try to find reasons to be depressed.
Fun fact: lack of sun exposure does make you physically more depressed due to to less Vit D production by your body....it's highly recommended to take Vit D supplements if you live in such regions to fight the very real winter depression these people get. So yeah people aren't actively trying to be depressed, the weather is literally having biophysical imact on thier mental health, something that people in sunny regions can't relate to and often don't know is a real phenomenon.
Funny considering they were ranked as the happiest country.
With a higher suicide rate than Japan.
Well, duh, if all the unhappy people kill themselves, eventually only the happy ones are left: Easy victory.
r/basicmath
[удалено]
Time to move to Finland!!!
who has the authority to rank this?
Yeah, it's funny because that list is a joke
How’s that? The list takes security, prosperity and quality of life into account
Well happiness is subjective. Can't be measured in such way. Suicide and alcohol death rate show this clearly
That will always be more prone on cold and dark climates. But the sheer quality of life is just astronomical higher than in most other countries. Idk how you would measure it
Polls are the only way. Those climates make people less happy. That's my point. It undos other good aspects of life there
Im not so sure about that. Depression due to lack of sunlight and vitamin D is a sickness for some specific people. It does not affect everyone or most of the population in my opinion. Also I’m pretty sure polls have been done. What would you say would be ranked as the happiest country in the world?
It definitely affects population and it's ignored in happiness index. I'm not sure if worldwide polls have been done. My guess would be Switzerland or Lichtenstein, but that's just my guess
I think the division in people can be seen in the ethnicities that have the melanin for low sunlight climates.
I feel like it also has to do with the social lifestyle, I’ve noticed Northeastern/Nordic Europeans and Northeastern Asians are painfully socially inept or extremely introverted to the point where even greeting someone you don’t know is seen as weird. Southern Europeans tend to be happier because aside from their climate, they value friendships, going out, staying close with family, still have Christian values even if 50% of the the country are agnostics, northeastern Asians are obsessed with money and toxic beauty standards, their culture is all about work and wanting to better than everyone else.
I'm from Northern Europe. Except for religion (not a fan and we don't need it), I think you're right. I mean fair, it does foster a certain togetherness and sense of community and shared values. But I don't think we need that *anyway*, or rather, we could find something else that gives us that. You're overgeneralizing about people being introverted and socially inept though (I mean, sure some of us are...) It's true that we do think it's weird to greet people you don't know, that's just something society has cooked up throughout the years and not necessarily due to introversion. In general we do think that if somebody says hello and tries to strike up a conversation on the street or whatever, they're either a) crazy, b) drunk or high, c) both crazy and drunk/high d) trying to get us to donate money to a cause, e) join a cult, or f) that they're not from Sweden. And it's unfortunate, because of course when you grow up with the idea that it's *weird* to be greeted by strangers and something you should be wary of, you start thinking it's very uncomfortable when it happens. I would love to talk to more people when out and about and make new friends, but at this point it's very much impossible, because people would NOT be receptive towards strangers.
That’s a bit of a big generalization but I agree that in poorer countries and or rural countries there are a more folksy vibes. People share more because they survived like that once and a lot of those people know what it means to be hungry, so small things like sharing a meal and stuff is a bigger deal. But in the nordics everyone is pretty well off and very independent. So there is no NEED of a very broad social network but it doesn’t mean we don’t have it. Not saying that all of those countries in the south or the people are all poor but the culture is still there. It’s also why you can see on a graph where people are more likely to give you a meal if you visit. It’s always the places that are or have been very poor recently
Also you will always find more religious people in poorer areas. It kinda just makes sense when you think about it.
Hmm, now that you’ve mentioned all that, it makes sense.
Christian values? Hahahah
We have a sect of Christians here that commit child abuse, but nothing is done about it.
It’s so suffocating to be in a culture where people act like you’re the weirdo for doing small niceties (keeping the door open for another person, smiling)
Yeah, I remember studying abroad in Shizuoka and I just felt uncomfortable the whole time, people rarely spoke to each other, everyone seemed so socially inept and unhappy, like literal NPCs, and since I look sorta Mediterranean, I stood out like a sore thumb so I’d get weird looks but whenever I was the one to look back, I was the weird and rude one, I don’t care how many people claim how horrible America is, I love it here, the people here are 10x friendlier and it’s so easy to stir up conversations here (especially since I live in Texas) being over there made me realize how important human interaction really is, and I tend to be introverted, but holy shit, I don’t wanna stereotype anyone but Japan was something else.
I would probably find it suffocating to be in a culture where strangers are constantly making small talk with me. I think it's mostly difficult to get used to something very different from what one has grown up with. I do think people here in Northern Europe, despite being cold externally can often appreciate you holding up the door for them. With the exception of some femi-nazis that might take offense that you would think that they couldn't open the door themselves, lol. Edit: since some people can't seem to understand subtext - I'm not calling feminists "femi-nazis", they are two separate things.
Axxo47 is right. If you ask ANY of us, everyone will tell you exactly the sentiments that Axxo47 and I are telling you all. We’re not a country of happy people.
I know its depression rates are due to the cold and etc and other factors but I simple can't understand, I would kill to live in a developed, cold and quiet place like that 😩😩
Its mostly vitamin D i think... it happens to everyone living above a certain latitude.
Hmm... This looks like a pretty chill place honestly
C'mon now, the spring melt is going on. I'm Canadian, and my city looks identical right now. It'll probably look much better in the winter and in the summer.
Not liminal
This is just the Midwest most of the year.
Yeah this looks exactly like ohio up until may
This is not bad. What’s bad about Finland is not mud or architecture, but that there’s absolutely nothing to do. Been to Helsinki couple of times, stayed for over a week. Everything closes early, streets are empty, eerily quiet. Outrageously boring.
so what uh do all the young people do?
A Finn here. I don't know. I do everything that other young people do elsewhere? I don't think places close earlier than usual? In fact I think places are even more accessible for their opening hours than in many Central European countries. And most big grocery shops are open 24/7. Unless it's the night life we're talking about. Go to the Netherlands, Germany, Poland or somewhere else for that, if wild shit or so tightly packed nightclubs that you don't have room to breathe is what you're looking for. Streets are empty because it's rainy or snowy and cold as all hell for 8 months. Lack of imagination I say. And a language barrier.
What, you guys have grocery shops open 24/7? It's something that I'm sorely missing here in Sweden tbh, shops close somewhat early-ish and finding places open late when you realize you need something is nearly impossible unless it's a shitty 7-Eleven or something. Also, our clubs and bars close laughably early, which seems to be true for Finland as well from your post. I think it's sad honestly, even though my clubbing days are mostly... In the past. I think there's a cultural value in a solid nightlife, and in that clubs and bars are definitely a big part, and I can say that in Stockholm it's even gotten worse in comparison to say, 10 years ago. Clubs are closing to the left and right because new people move into the neighborhoods where the clubs are and start complaining about noise levels which forces the clubs to shut down, and then we have one of the biggest areas for nightlife and clubs currently planned to be rebuilt to apartment buildings. It doesn't help that most places close at 1AM or 3AM either. Like sure, I can't remember the last time I was out that late since I'm a boring guy in his 30's now, but I still think that there should be more places open until at least 5.
Most clubs are open until 4-4:30AM, but I've heard they're not vibrant enough for some people, so that's what I was referring to.
Just strolling around such streets in the evening is fun. I’m used to streets that are several kilometers long filled with bars and restaurants, you can walk past and see hundreds of people eating and drinking outside, music playing, street musicians, 24/7 coffee shops. It’s great and it feels like city is alive. Stockholm was very pretty, I loved museums and historical places, but in the evening it felt like everyone goes to sleep. Very usual for a tourist “let’s go out and walk around” at ~9 pm felt like we were in a ghost town.
Interesting. Seattle even have some more nightlife even though some of the areas can be dangerous, there are a lot of folks going out to eat, i saw lots of people just jogging or walking their pups too.
Decent bars/pubs, at what time do they usually close on Friday and Saturday?
~4:30 AM. By law (which says closed by 5AM I believe)
Huh, then it’s totally okay. I was afraid it would be something outlandish like 20:00. Though on Friday even 23:00 is barbaric.
Lack of any night/bar life and public events. Central streets are empty and it feels like everyone goes to bed at 8 pm. I’m just used to 24/7 cities with streets buzzing with hundreds of bars and clubs open at night with people eating and drinking, talking outside, street musicians, night lights. In the day- open street markets, public events, fun activities in the city for kids and adults. It’s pretty much daily here. Helsinki felt pretty dead in that regard. All I can remember is a large mall in the centre, couple of coffee shops around that closed early and nothing else. Same for Norway and Sweden. Museums are great but cities felt like British wedding- have a biscuit and a cup of tea and go home. We went skiing for couple of weeks in a town nearby- that was great. Lots of things to do for activities. But city itself is kinda dead. It’s probably because of very tiny population, Helsinki has less people than 1 district of Moscow for example, so I guess there would be way less activities to do. Tbh this is true for many European countries. The most bombastic cities I’ve seen are London, Berlin, Moscow especially, Minsk, Riga, Amsterdam.
Me and my friend used to hang around at the mall, go to the movies, hang around at the park until around 10pm, play outside and explore random nature we could, this was in 2010s america. I feel like kids today dont do the same things anyway, they probably just hang out online instead.
So you confirm what they said : boring
If you say so.
Go to Black Metal shows.
If you don't find stuff to do in Helsinki that's on you. There are bands playing somewhere every weekend, lots of clubs and bars if that's your vibe, a ton of museums and art galleries. Many movie theaters, some showing smaller indie films or old classics no longer in normal theaters. Take a walk in nature, even in Helsinki you can get to proper woods in like 30 min. Go shopping in one of the many shopping centers or smaller businesses all around Helsinki (especially the city center). Go eat at a fancy restaurant.
Maybe so but that doesn’t make a picture of two dreary buildings liminal
It's called winter.
Yeah but you guys spawned Sam Lake so it's not all bad.
The depressing aaf part of Finland is much better than the joyful asf part of most of the world
Modernist Architecture is depressing everywhere. Check out Architectural Uprising Finland if you seek change
I'd love to move to Finland 😍
Same. Dream country for real.
The PR that Finland has for foreigners is great! However, things are much, much different when you move here.
I’m not sure I’ve encountered Finnish PR yet, I just really like Nordic countries. I like cold, gloomy weather, I like trains, I like auroras, I like socialist democracies (or countries that might pass as having that I guess) and I like languages that have way too many grammatical cases. That’s why I love Iceland and Norway as well.
nice society and culture tho... plenty of travel opportunities... I liked it there
Patrick… is Finland that depressing?
But they keep getting on top of the most happiest nation.
Let the right one in vibes
It's the weather, it makes harder to build cool stuff. Also, everybody is inside heating, making outside feel lonely af.
It might be gloomy and damp, but at least it’s also cold and dirty
I went to Finland at this time of year in 2022. There was still thick snow on the ground, the docks were frozen, it was about -2°C, and most of the tourist attractions were still closed for winter. In April. Helsinki is a cool and attractive city but I could not deal with those winters. I struggle enough with winters in the UK and we have it comparatively easy. That’s why they need sisu I suppose.
What is it with this Nordic style vernacular architecture? I’m in Iceland at the moment and the buildings here are such industrial pieces of shit. Is it the cold weather? Because the insides are cozy AF but the exterior looks like dog shit legos designed be a broke 5 year old.
Well in finland atleast lots of buildings like these had to be built quickly and cheaply when more and more people started moving into the cities during the 60's-80s.
This reminds me of Eurotrip: "Enjoy Bratislava! It's good you came in summer. In winter it can be very depressing"
Was looking for this.
It's the happiest country year after year for a reason.
How is this a liminal space?
this is liminal?
Wow, basing a whole country off of one picture
Try Birmingham.
Come to [Sutton Park](https://eu-assets.simpleview-europe.com/birmingham-visit/imageresizer/?image=%2Fdmsimgs%2FSutton_Park_85739525.jpg&action=ProductDetailProFullWidth) and say that.
Come to [Bournville](https://www.bvt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Selly-Manor-for-website.jpg) and say that.
Come to [the Jewellery Quarter](https://jewelleryquarter.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Jewellery-Quarter-shops.jpg) and say that.
C*m in my ass and say that
I'm up for the challenge
I'm down for that
Come to [Brindleyplace](https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/people-walking-famous-birmingham-canal-uk-rain-evening-98100564.jpg) and say that.
Bro loves Birmingham
I mean, the Midwest in the US is depressing…
The whole of Finland in one single picture
Still better than fucking middle east
Developed russia.
what do you mean by that?
I mean exactly what i wrote pal.
Kimi Raikkonen
I often think about how disgustingly grey these type of apartments are, but then again, it’s nice that there’s somewhat affordable housing depending on where you live.
Looks like Russian commieblocks, but nicer
I would love to live in a quiet place like that, I am tired of living surrounded of noise
Springtime.
Meanwhile me a Polish teenager living in a bigger shithole somehow
Looking like a map from War Thunder
Maybe it’s just you projecting your own feelings on an entire country.
I thought it was Russia
Looks good to me
FINLAND AIN'T REAL
[Perkele](https://youtu.be/HVlouzdnj90)
Try living here in Brazil for a couple of months and then let's have a chat
Have a look at Rochdale town centre UK
That's really not too bad. A whitewashed overcast sky can be very comfortable. The ground looks a bit crap now in between winter and spring for sure. The buildings aren't pretty but they are maintained and warm, rather than decrepit commieblocks falling to pieces. And that place is quiet and safe. If you cannot invent things to do to pass the time, that is your own problem.
Looks alright to me.
Impressive, very nice. Let's see another area of Finland.
TBF so are you OP
🌲🗻⛰️forgive me if I don't believe you.🗻⛰️🌲
Still better than los angeles
Sample size: 1 photo
Disagree
My dream place to live
Ambient lightening can improve your mood, sleep and productivity.
Well at least buildings are clean and not ugly like in post USSR countries. You haven't seen regional Kazakhstan
I love it! When can I move in?
Damn bro, looks like a post-apocalyptic scenario lol
Well…yeah…you take a picture of two buildings on a misty day and call Finland depressing 😂😂😂😂 try taking a picture of its natural land
Everyone asks where is finland but no one asks how is finland
Which city is this?
Its kortepohja, the thing is here are much worse places than this but my lazy ass is not walking there and taking a pic
I've been to Oulu and many places look identical to this photo.
This is finish, but this is not the end. Lul
The happiest country on earth according to statistics. ????
It doesn't have much character, very bland looking hopefully it's just this area
I stayed in Kouvola with rainy weather for less than two hours for a train problem…. Damn it was tuff.
It’s really not, was just there and it was cold but very beautiful. People are also super nice and they seem very happy to be in Finland.
reminded me of CS:GO map
So much for the happiest country in the world.
I would think that a paved road would make it look a little better. Nonetheless the Finnish have a beautiful language and a deep understanding of self reflection with their well engineered saunas. I hope I can have one of my own in the states.
I actually love that kind of weather/mood.
”Its not about whats on the outside, its about how you feel inside” - Lao Tzu or someone like that i think
Every place with retarded long winters is like that.
At least it’s not Ruzzia. So, there’s that.
Enh, you can find those kinds of buildings in any modern city.
I'd be depressed to if I lived next door to Russia.