Learned to Quiet My Mind Afterwork

By incident I discovered the secret for a quiet mind on the bus back home. After a night shift.

The day felt long and I felt empty.

I opened my notes, wrote what I was doing in Finnish, to practice the language. 

"Olen mennossa kotiin. En ole vasynyttä. En ole surullista. Unohtin jo kokon päivän. Mahtavaa! Olen vihdoin rauhassa.

Toivon että, nukuisin hyvin."

Let me translate:

"I'm going home. I'm not tired. I'm not sad. I forgot the whole day already. Great! I'm finally at peace.

I hope, I'll sleep well."

I really smiled when I wrote I forgot it all. It felt liberating. I was liberated from memories, from old feelings, from the past.

Then I looked forward to the future. But I didn't see further than that night. I only wished for a good sleep. All desires and worries were gone in that moment.

Dear Anxious People, Let It Be and Get Excited

I'm feeling fear.

It feels uncomfortable.

What can I do to stop feeling this?!

You can't, for now. Fear only goes away when you do that scary thing to find out it's not as scary as imagined.

I can only do it tomorrow. Actually, I can do it tomorrow already! Finally find out if I'll survive vocational school with my poor Finnish.

Mun Päiväkirja 4: Mikä minusta tulee?

Olin kotona koko päivän.

Luin lasten kirjoja. Katsoin kaksi uudetta jaksoa lasten ohjelmassa "Ninni ja Nestori".

Luin ja kuuntelin myös tekstin "Suomen historia" kappalessa 3 Suomen Mestarin 3 -oppikirjassa. Oli lyhyt ja kiinostävä. Olen opiskellut miten sanotaan "19xx-19xx". On "19xx viiva 19xx". Kuulinko oikea?

Luin vielä paljon tekstia englanniksi puhelimessa. En pidä siitä, joten vaihtain kielin suomeen ja sammutin autokääntäjän. Toivon että näen suomea kaikki paikassa ja opin sitä ilman huomata.

Kun luin "Miten kasvit kasvavat?", olen oppinut lausetta "jostakin tulee jokin". Sitten kun luin "Suomen historia", olen huomannut sen lauseessa "Helsingistä tuli pääkaupunki". On hauskaa huomata uudetta tietoa käytössä.

Mikä minusta tulee ensi vuonna? Opiskelja ammattikoulussa varmasti. Ja parempi suomen puhuja! Sitten... en tiedä vielä. Toivottavasti ei enää työtön.

Tulevaisuus vastaa. Meiän tehtävä on yrittää ja nauttia jokaisesta hetkestä. Elämä voi loppua milloin tahansa.

Mun Päiväkirja 3: Puhuin suomee myyjän kanssa

Eilen oli ensimmäinen kerra olen puhunut suomee kalan myyjän kanssa K-Marketissa.

Oli kolmas kerta olen aikonut puhua suomee hänen kanssa. Vihdoin osain!

Sanoin, "Otaisin lohi". Hän kysyi, "lohi tai kirjolohi?" ja vastasin "lohi". Hän kysyi, "pälä pälä file pälä?" ja vastasin "joo!" (tiedän mitä on file). Sitten with fish bones in hand, hän kysyi mulle, "pälä pälä pälä mukaan?" ja ymmärrin tietysti, sanoin "joo". Haha. Oli hauska.

Kun hän antoi mulle lohen, sanoi "näin" mutta en ymmärrä vielä mitä tarkoitaa oikeasti... Vastasin kuitenkin "kiitos".

Myös tänään puhuin myyjän kanssa Prismassa. En voinut löydä jooganmattoa. Kysyin hänelle, "Onko siellä jooga matto?". Sanoi "on" ja "pälä pälä hylly kolmekymmentä..." kun hän menin mun kanssa siihin.

Näitkö? Mun suomi parantaa joka päivä.

(*) Totta kai he ei sanonut pälä pälä. En voinut kuunnella kaikea lausetta. Hmm milloin voin? Katsotaanpa.

Mun Päiväkirja 2: En osta enää ilmapatjaa

Kello on paljon. Mutta I'm a person of my word ja kirjoitin eilen että kerron teille joka ilta miten opiskelen suomee, joten kirjoitan jotain.

Tänä aamuna heräin myöhä. Söin kaurapuurroa ja mustikkahilloa. Herkulista!

Sitten kävin kaupassa mieheni kanssa ostamaan ruokaa ja teipi. Yritimme korjata ilmapatjan. Ei toiminut.

Ai niin! Tänään on Suomen Itsenäisyyspäivä. Mutta en nähnyt mitään special. Mun maassa itsenäisyyspäivänä nähdään maan lippua everywhere.

Illalla olin ihan vihainen koska en oli opiskellut mitään koko päivän. Perkele ilmapatja!

Onneksi, herkullinen iltapala made me happy again. Hyvä ruoka auttaa aina. Oletko sama mieltä?

Meiän iltapala. Kokki/Kuvaja: Linh Vu.

Mun Päiväkirja 1: Yksi kuukausi koulutukseen uudella alalla

Tänä päivänä ensi kuussa mun ammatillinen koulutus alkaa.

Ai joo, kerron teille miten olen saanut opiskelupaikan myöhemmin. Oli uskomatonta.

Nyt mun puheenymmärtäminen on vielä aika huono. Pelkän, että en ymmärrä mitä opettaja sanoa, joten kuuntelen enemmän oppi-CD:a ja käytän suomea aina kun voin.

Jaan joka ilta mitä tein oppimaan suomea.

🏀🐺

Tänään katsoin koripallopelin Suomi vs Ranska Yle Areenassa. 

Hieno peli! Olen Susijengin uusi fani.

Ajattelin että opin jotakin sanaa katsomassa sen ja kuulin vain:

toivottavasti,

valittavasti,

virhe,

2 pistettä,

loistava,

ja pelaajien sukunimi lol. (-nen, -nen, -nen)

Mutta ne on jotain jo! Hyvä tehnyt.

Be Prepared to Slip and Fall in Finnish Winter

I'm sitting in the sun.

Today and yesterday are rare sunny days in Finnish November. To my surprise, first snow fell on such sunny days.

Yes, it snowed last night!

It's the first time I've seen snow. It was so much like rain. Snowflakes felt like rain drops when they touched my hands. Well, they're both water.

A thin layer of snow has covered the ground when I got up. The sun shines bright. What a beautiful day.

First layer of snow in Lahti 2025. From our backyard.

14.11.25

But to be honest, I'm afraid of winter. Of the slippery icy ground. In fact, I just fell off the bike the other night. It rained, I was riding on a slope and made a swift turn. Onneksi, I was wearing 3 pants and thick gloves so my knee wasn't scratched much and my palm was just bruised. Thanks pants and gloves.

I took amazingly good care of my wound and bruises, following proper first-aid instructions for the first time in my life. I realized that I have been doing it wrong and no adult around me in Vietnam ever showed me the right way. They always said, "Ignore it and it'll heal itself."

They apply the idea to any kind of pain. They ignore any problem and hope it goes away.

So, I grew up like them and I have many ugly scars that took so long to heal.

Longest Finnish Word I've Remembered: maahanmuuttajille

Maahanmuuttajille.

So proud 👏 I couldn't stop repeating it the whole day.

It's technically a word in Finnish but translates to a phrase in English, "for immigrants".

Today witnessed the first time I could recall and write it down correctly. It was a "wow" moment. I was surprised by myself - my brain. It worked up some magic and finally memorized this long jumble of letters.

I first saw this word on the cover of a dictionary I liked so much and already blogged about. I didn't remember exactly how long ago so I looked up the post and I was surprised again that I saw it only around June. 

So, it took my brain 5 months, not to only remember the letters but also to understand why they're that way. Not bad. Ei ole pahaa.

Another cool thing I discovered from the post was that I wrote the word wrong. haha. Of course.

On Lahti's 120th Birthday

I never knew Finns throw birthday parties for their cities.

They even make birthday cake.

My city has strawberry cake this year.

I love its vibrant color.

I love its sourness that balanced out sweetness.

Lahti's 120th Birthday Cake. Photo: Linh Vu.

They also play live music every night on the birthday week.

Hubby Pig and I will go watch a water organ show tonight.

City Hall and all city museums were open for free yesterday.

We visited history and art museums.

I thought I would have enjoyed art more than history but it was the opposite.

I learned some interesting things at Lahden Historiallinen Museo.

Bouquet of Light: DIY Lampshade from Newspaper for Newcomers with Tight Budget

I guess all immigrants have some light bulbs in their luggage. Everything costs more in our dreamland.

If there's no bulb cover or lampshade in your apartment and the light stings your eyes, try my latest "invention". You're welcome.

Silvia's Bouquet of Light

To make this bouquet of light, you need: 

• 1 thin A3 piece of paper, ideally newspaper-like; (I used a catalogue left in our apartment)
• 1 string of any kind to tie - ribbon band/rubber band/twist tie;
• and 1 paper clipper or 1 piece of tape.

How to Tell the Date and Time in Finnish – Tricky or Easy?

Hei syyskuu. Hei sateinen ja pilvinen päivät. Onko sininen taivas todella poissa kesän kanssa?? I miss the Finnish blue sky... Will it come back any time soon?

Tänä aamupäivällä I finally understood how to tell time in Finnish after this video by KatChats - my current favorite channel for bite-sized lessons.

Telling time in Finnish is tricky for English speakers because Finns normally say "twenty to eleven" instead of "ten forty". Kat explains very well and briefly. I can easily tell time now!

Kello on kakskyt vaille yks ja mulla on nälkä.

Lyrics Explained S1E4: Sadepäivä (Rainy Day) by Mutaveijarit

Today is a rainy day in Lahti. Perfect occasion to share this new children's song I just discovered.

Sadepäivä (Rainy Day) performed by Mutaveijarit was randomly included in my "laulut lapsille" playlist on YouTube. I was mesmerized by the beginning melody. A whimsical world opened up.

I'm Amazed by Finland’s Worker Support System

Yesterday I joined "Newcomer Information Session about Working Life" organized by International House Helsinki (IHH) online. In 2 hours, we went through 6 sections covering many aspects of work - from job search, labour laws, to retirement pension. What impressed me was that workers in Finland have such a strong support system at any stage in their working life. At least on paper.

Following are my favorite slides.

1. A sweet reminder to take breaks during job hunt by IHH Employment Coach Salli

It's so nice to see how much Finns value mental health. Even in job seeking phase, residents here get solid support from local Employment Services. Job hunting is indeed stressful and getting help from the local authority feels so much more encouraging. The well-know Integration Training for immigrants is a part of these services.

2. Useful list of places to seek help for workers in Finland

What To Do After First Week In Finland As Trailing Spouse

This time last week Hubby Pig and I were up in the sky.

A busy week of moving has come to an end. Full of emotions. Full of walking, heavy-lifting, and cleaning too. A busy yet beautiful week.

Now, 254 days left until I can apply to renew my permit. I remind myself everyday why I'm here and that time is ticking.

I'll register as jobseeker on tyomarkkinatori.fi as soon as I get my personal number at DVV, an ID card, and a bank account. That allows me to join integration training, which gives me a community, Finnish classes, and support to find a full-time job.

Below is a detailed guide provided by Employment Services about the integration program:

There's also a recent interview answering some FAQs about this program here. The interviewee has completed her training with satisfaction. Will I be the next happy client? Let's see.

Forget Rolling! Pack Clothes Tightly for Travel with Pocket Method

I've been testing all clothes folding methods in the last two weeks to pack for my big moving trip. And I've discovered Pocket Method, my new favorite way to fold clothes for travel and moving.

How to Fold Clothes with Pocket Method

Why Pocket Method is better than other ways

Goodbyes Don't Have To Be Sad

There're 5 days left to my flight for Finland and thinking of someone shedding tears scares me. I want to keep it cool. 

I've never cried at farewell parties. I find tearful farewell awkward and demoralizing. It's not that I'm emotionless, I'm just more excited about the future than nostalgic about the past. 

On top of that, I'll be anxious as hell about keeping an eye on our luggage already. I don't need more emotional turbulence. 

Anything is possible and goodbyes can sound cheerful. You don't have to tell them if it feels cheesy, they're helpful even when just kept in mind. With positive thinking, you'll be able to put on your brightest smile when going through security and no one would feel the need to cry! 

Let me show you my cheerful/neutral goodbyes:

Bye Zin

Me and Barbie Zin Zin Poo Poo before Tết 2025

Bye bye Zin. How can I explain to you that I won't come back tonight or any time soon? All you understand are commands to eat, go out, go home, wash your feet, shower, and go to bed. Also "come hug" but you often don't cooperate.

My Residence Permit in Finland is Valid From Today

Hi readers! Hi August!

I collected my residence permit card from the embassy just 2 days ago. It looks stunning with glint and detailed layers.

My First Finnish Residence Permit Card! (Backside)

Do you see what it writes?

"TYÖNTEKO-OIKEUS: RAJOITTAMATON"

RIGHT TO WORK: UNLIMITED.

*sob*

How Finland Can Expand Its Small Market

the vast sky that sparked hope from my old office at dinner break

With a population of 5.6 million, Finland has a tiny market compared to my origin country Vietnam, which hosts over 100 million residents. If Finnish companies only aim to serve domestic consumers, they definitely will have a hard time finding enough clients, generating enough profits to sustain. Few companies survive, few people hired.

I thought about this since I'm moving to Finland and of course I'm aware of its high and persistent unemployment rate... Yes, I used to think this move is suicide.

But hey, unemployment is caused by many factors. Some people on Reddit said "lack of jobs" is a misinterpretation, low-skilled jobs are plenty, it's just that very few immigrants meet the language requirements. More hope for a language grad like me.

However, I believe the competition for high-skilled jobs, such as in IT, is truly fierce. Even Finns struggle to land one, as the news report. Perhaps it's because outsourcing to Asia is much cheaper. I'm not sure. En ole varmasti.

Luckily, this post is not written to investigate causes of high unemployment rate in Finland but to discuss some existing foreign income sources I notice in Finland, as pumping more from them may bring more jobs:

How Long Can You Keep A Dream?

Linh and I just booked our tickets to Finland.

One-way tickets.

Each cost over 2 months of my office salary.

I thanked myself for years of frugal living.

I remember seeing classmates snack joyfully afterschool, trying to ignore my craving and hunger. Like all the girls, I also want to be pretty, but I don't dare to spend 1-2 mil vnd on hairstyling or nearly a day wage on a lipstick. I've been saving anything I could, so today I have the funds for my dream.

I cried. Not sure if it's because of financial stress, self-pity, or last night staying up late, messing up my brain chemicals. Maybe all of them. How long have I dreamed of moving away? Since a walk to dump trash at around age 13. I wished I wouldn't have to return to my house. I was sick of that old path, of that damp dark alley, of my parents' suffocating marriage. But I had to endure it til this day. Twelve years.

Everything is my fault

Came another mental breakdown as expected.

Derek's words saved me again.

"Everything is my fault." - Hell Yeah or No (2020)

I also had this thinking few days ago but I wasn't as articulate as him.

Responsibility brings power.

You feel helpless when you blame others.

You feel powerful when you blame yourself.

Try it.

It doesn't matter the truth. Only matters how you feel.

Your mind can make anything sound reasonable. Make a wise choice. Think in a way that empowers you.

Sometimes finding an explanation to convince yourself is hard. But it's always possible. Here are my 3 unhealthy deep-rooted beliefs and how I tried to fix them: