Perspectives

I have never known people to be so excited that it is finally cold and snowing.  Everyone I've talked to since I've been here has been telling me how sorry they aren't that it isn't more like winter.  It has been unseasonably warm so far and people are genuinely sad about it.  You can't go skiing. You can't go to the smoke sauna followed by ice swimming.  I went out this afternoon and saw people out simply for a walk in the snow, enjoying winter.  There were kids playing in the park across the street.  What's more, is that the sun goes down at about 4pm here.  I've often wondered how people could live in a place like Finland, that seems to be very cold and dark but it is very clear that people here embrace it.  It is a completely different mindset and I must confess that I took a very nice, long walk myself.