A Compliment from a Finn...

Today I took Loki to the grocery store to get some groceries for my supper and my brownies ingredients (a la mud pie style) for my knitting group.

On the way home, an older man stopped me and started to jabber to me in Finnish.  I understood the word "koira" - meaning "dog" and he was pointing towards the snow bank.  I got nervous that he saw me after midnight letting the dogs run loose somewhere - and I just smiled meekly and said "I don't speak Finnish".  He smiled and pointed at my light (got it at Mountain Equipment Co-Op in Halifax) that I have dangling from the side of my coat, and Loki has one attached to his harness - and said, "BEAUTIFUL! BEAUTIFUL!"

Why would I blog about a man complimenting my (and Loki's) use of a little LED light?  Because it's odd.
It's not very often that a stranger that is Finnish, would stop and compliment someone else for something like a light or anything at all really.  Whether it be another Finn or a potential foreigner - it's just not the Finnish way.

So I smiled at this stranger and said "kiitos! It's from Canada" (kiitos being Thanks!).  And he smiled and waved and went on his merry little way.

After thinking of his gestures - I realize that he probably appreciated knowing there was a large dog coming around the corner and he was able to see us from a distance because of our little LED lights.  Not that Loki jumped him or anything - and he didn't seem to really dislike dogs - he was just thankful that he didn't get scared out of his pants.
He was also probably stating somewhere in that Finnish speech of his - that more dogs should do the same thing so people can see them when they're driving by or walking their dogs.

I guess?