Tervehdys Suomesta! So, I am back to Finland. Slovenian holidays were fine, I was happy to meet all the people and all the places. I have visited my Nanbudo dojo again and I have got a nice welcome greeting. Then, a couple of metal evenings and a gig. There was also this traditional Saturday metal evening when my dear friends made a surprise and gave me an unexpected birthday present. All in all, it was lovely.
During our New Year's Eve celebration at my Slovenian place, Salmiakki Koskenkorva vodka was poured into Finnish design Iittala glasses. Now, I sit here at my Finnish place in Jyväskylä and I drink herbal tea I have brought from Slovenia. Back home I would miss some things we have in Finland, here I would miss some things we have in Slovenia. But still, for some reasons during my Slovenian holidays, I have felt kind of connected with Finland. It feels like being between two countries and two cultures. It is perhaps even hard to describe with words. I can only try.
I guess one can also feel either Finn or Slovenian without any proper document. No political discourse included. Now, why would I want to be a Finn? And on the other hand, why do I want to be a Slovenian? I am happy when I can chat in Finnish and I am still happy when I am mistaken for a Finn. But I am not denying my basic cultural identity. It will always be a part of me and I will always feel connected with potica, too. Also, changing cultural identity, trying to assimilate, cannot solve everything. My character, all of my good and bad sides, would also travel with me. One cannot escape some shadows, no matter where the one goes.
I like new things and I like to experience new cultures. I also like languages. However, I am just fascinated with the fact how close Finnish culture seems to me; this has just happened, slowly within a couple of years. And well, as I cannot provide any deeper thoughts now, I guess I should return to my studies which desperately demand some serious work.
During our New Year's Eve celebration at my Slovenian place, Salmiakki Koskenkorva vodka was poured into Finnish design Iittala glasses. Now, I sit here at my Finnish place in Jyväskylä and I drink herbal tea I have brought from Slovenia. Back home I would miss some things we have in Finland, here I would miss some things we have in Slovenia. But still, for some reasons during my Slovenian holidays, I have felt kind of connected with Finland. It feels like being between two countries and two cultures. It is perhaps even hard to describe with words. I can only try.
Why would one like to be a Finn? And on the other hand, why would one like to be a Slovenian? Answers to these questions can easily reach the realms of political; I am more in the mood for intimate discourse now. First of all, one is born into one culture and language. These roots stay with the one, wherever the one goes. Second, one can be forced to adopt new cultural identity; yet this I will skip. Also, there is this globalization going on, national cultures are melting and pouring into each other, loosing their individual features and becoming more and more similar to eachother; at least so it seems to me here in Europe. Same kind of fashion, same kind of music, same kind of yogurt, and so on.
I guess one can also feel either Finn or Slovenian without any proper document. No political discourse included. Now, why would I want to be a Finn? And on the other hand, why do I want to be a Slovenian? I am happy when I can chat in Finnish and I am still happy when I am mistaken for a Finn. But I am not denying my basic cultural identity. It will always be a part of me and I will always feel connected with potica, too. Also, changing cultural identity, trying to assimilate, cannot solve everything. My character, all of my good and bad sides, would also travel with me. One cannot escape some shadows, no matter where the one goes.
I like new things and I like to experience new cultures. I also like languages. However, I am just fascinated with the fact how close Finnish culture seems to me; this has just happened, slowly within a couple of years. And well, as I cannot provide any deeper thoughts now, I guess I should return to my studies which desperately demand some serious work.
1 comment:
Zakaj je meni tako vsec Finska in z njo finska kultura, ne bi spet razpravljala, sem ze veckrat povedala veliko. Hotela sem pa omeniti, da se dostikrat govori o podobnosti slovenske in finske kulture, tako da je preskok manjsi in tudi ni nikakrsnega kulturnega shoka v tem. Vsaka ima par psoebnsoti, sicer smo si pa ljudje kar podobni.
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