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