Heipä! I have not been writing for some time. Rather than dealing with the blog, I either go to the lectures or to sauna. Now it seems I am about to start with some cinnamosophy. There is one theme I would like to tackle for some time. I guess one post would not be enough to grasp it, but still. It is all about craving for one specific foreign country.
The two of my latest plays have depicted similar theme. The theme of desire to move, the theme of craving for another country, the theme of escape. In my plays, there are people from north whishing to move south, and there are people from south craving for north. In the theatre play Nora by famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, sunny Italy seems to be a place of distant happiness. Finns sometimes wonder why I had chosen Finland for my relocation. So, what is all about these states of desire?
The desired country in my case would be Finland. How exactly did this desire emerge? I have always been more interested into Nordic countries. I cannot say why that has occurred, I just know some people are equally enthusiastic about Mediterranean lands. A few years ago my desired country would be Iceland. I would never think about Finland that much. Kalevala, yes, I have read it years ago, but nevertheless. Then all of a sudden, that Finnish friendship of mine has happened. And that has changed everything. No matter the particular friendship has turned bitter after some time. I have discovered Finland.
Do we desire foreign lands because we want to escape our reality? Usually, one travels around for a couple of weeks, the life is different, then the one returns back home. Job, school, back to dullness. A foreign land can stay in one's mind like an image of distant paradise. But when starting to lead a normal everyday life in a foreign country... I guess that is quite different.
Recently, I have been reading some thoughts non-Finnish fans of Finland had produced. It is really interesting: no tropical islands with pleasant climate, Finland is the one that seems to be perceived as a promised land. I have kind of been introduced to Finland from a Finnish point of view. All the way from very Finnish music, everyday products to the culture and society. Thus I might have also been implanted more realistic vision of the country. For that, I am thankful to the one that does not read my blog no longer. Here in Finland I have indeed found some benefits I would miss in my home country. Also, I seem not to be a person of big cities; I like to be among forests and lakes. But after one month of living here and with all previous experience I could also say - hei, it is nothing that special.
The move I have done was more of practical nature. There was no job for me at home, I had wanted to study abroad for ages, finally, I was given a scholarship. My lifestyle has started to differ a lot from that of my parents. For some time I had felt an urge to move on my own; there was this urge to move, and to cure some heart-ache-like stuff. However, when dreaming about a foreign country, just beware. There are always two sides. One should be well aware Finland also posses its own rough reality; like, for instance, drunk people shouting vittu on the street... well, here another story begins.
The two of my latest plays have depicted similar theme. The theme of desire to move, the theme of craving for another country, the theme of escape. In my plays, there are people from north whishing to move south, and there are people from south craving for north. In the theatre play Nora by famous Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, sunny Italy seems to be a place of distant happiness. Finns sometimes wonder why I had chosen Finland for my relocation. So, what is all about these states of desire?
The desired country in my case would be Finland. How exactly did this desire emerge? I have always been more interested into Nordic countries. I cannot say why that has occurred, I just know some people are equally enthusiastic about Mediterranean lands. A few years ago my desired country would be Iceland. I would never think about Finland that much. Kalevala, yes, I have read it years ago, but nevertheless. Then all of a sudden, that Finnish friendship of mine has happened. And that has changed everything. No matter the particular friendship has turned bitter after some time. I have discovered Finland.
Do we desire foreign lands because we want to escape our reality? Usually, one travels around for a couple of weeks, the life is different, then the one returns back home. Job, school, back to dullness. A foreign land can stay in one's mind like an image of distant paradise. But when starting to lead a normal everyday life in a foreign country... I guess that is quite different.
Recently, I have been reading some thoughts non-Finnish fans of Finland had produced. It is really interesting: no tropical islands with pleasant climate, Finland is the one that seems to be perceived as a promised land. I have kind of been introduced to Finland from a Finnish point of view. All the way from very Finnish music, everyday products to the culture and society. Thus I might have also been implanted more realistic vision of the country. For that, I am thankful to the one that does not read my blog no longer. Here in Finland I have indeed found some benefits I would miss in my home country. Also, I seem not to be a person of big cities; I like to be among forests and lakes. But after one month of living here and with all previous experience I could also say - hei, it is nothing that special.
The move I have done was more of practical nature. There was no job for me at home, I had wanted to study abroad for ages, finally, I was given a scholarship. My lifestyle has started to differ a lot from that of my parents. For some time I had felt an urge to move on my own; there was this urge to move, and to cure some heart-ache-like stuff. However, when dreaming about a foreign country, just beware. There are always two sides. One should be well aware Finland also posses its own rough reality; like, for instance, drunk people shouting vittu on the street... well, here another story begins.
4 comments:
Kaj nas vlece na Finsko in sploh na sever ... Zase niti ne vem povedati, kako se je zacelo ... Mislim pa, da je bil jezik prva stvar. Potem pa finska kultura in zanimiva zgodovina. Dejstvo, da Finci niso indoevropski narod in se dejansko razlikujejo od vojih sosedov. Finska glasba. In, nenazadnje - moje lastne izkusnje, ki bolj pozitivne, kot so bile, ne bi mogle biti.
Samo potopiti se moras ... :)
... Ystad, Sweden, Summer 2007. A famous town, a beautiful town, obviously also a dangerous town. Two inebriated youngsters on motorbikes shouting at us upon noticing our German license plates, following us very aggressively on our drive around Ystad at night, to find a hotel. No hotel, a camping site instead. We didn't get hurt, the boys didn't get, but I did wonder: What was that?!?
@Aelfsciene: Zanimivo vsekakor. Privlačne so tudi druge kulture, pa vendar kaj je tisto, da kar nekaj ljudi hrepeni po Finski. Pri sebi zanimanja za nordijske dežele ne morem razumsko opredelit. Prejšnja življenja, kakšni predniki od tam, geni? Okej, od tiste kratke romance lahko razumsko opredelim vsaj zanimanje za finščino in Finsko. :) Pa Finci niso niti pravi Skandinavci. :D
@Alcessa: That was probably what goes under those another stories. However, so far, I have seen some interesting not-that-bright images here in Finland - just passing by. Involving either drunk people or the bitterness of relationships... and sometimes both.
Oh, and thans for the comment on my photos. :) We might get snow very soon (this Friday, they say), so there might be more fresh pictures. ;)
Kar se tice Skandinavije, mi je vsec pokrajina, tudi germanski jeziki so mi zanimivi, pa preteklost (vikingi in njihova popotovanja, celotna mitologija ...); Finci sicer niso bliznji sorodniki, ampak padejo zraven. Vcasih pa se pozneje odkrije clovek kak severnjaski bisercek, recimo jaz Ferske otoke ;)
Ampak po drugi strani - kaj pa ljudi vlece v mediteranske dezele, ki so veliko bolj priljubljene kot severne. Kaj jih privlaci na tisti kulturi? Ali zakaj nekateri ljudje hocejo nujno na Japonsko, ali pa jim je Kuba obljubljena dezela ...
Nekako se slepimo, da je drugje boljse, kje, se pa odlocimo glede na neke X faktorje v okusu :)
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