Snow.

As usual - here's your weather warning that there is now snow on the ground - and it doesn't look like it's going anywhere....as it keeps sneakily falling from the sky non-stop.
So what does that mean for you, the person living in Finland?

It is mandatory to get snow tires on your car/truck/vehicle.
And strongly recommended for your bicycle.  
I don't know if they actually make a REAL difference, as I won't bike in the winter!! 

Wear reflectors on both sides of your body if possible - so people can see you where it may be poorly lit...yes the snow helps a bit but not always if there's no street lights!!
Get a bike bell and bike light - DON'T BE AFRAID TO USE THEM.  You can help to prevent many accidents by warning people you're coming too quickly towards them - or trying to get around them.  It's the polite way to get past someone faster...*RING RING*

Your balcony (if you are lucky to have one) makes an EXCELLENT extra fridge/freezer (once it's REALLY cold out) - and it's prime time to empty out and clean your fridge...and if you have icicles in your freezer...probably a good time to de-frost as well.
Also an excellent time to stock up on ice-cream by the way (no, you're not crazy for eating ice-cream in the winter..or shopping 6 months in advance so it won't melt on your way home from the shops!)....and I've used mine as an extra freezer for meats and so on too once December hit!!

Just be sure to have proper trays or mats or plenty of towels to soak up the liquid from the de-frosting!!!
And make sure you change your towels/mats/empty the trays out frequently so you don't damage your floors if they happen to be sensitive to moisture/humidity.
It's also a great spot to let baby/young children sleep in their strollers - well bundled up (and usually not colder than -15*C or so)...as cold air soothes them, minimalizes flu bacteria growth, lets them sleep longer...and fresh air never hurts!

Layer up!
Most important thing about living in a cold climate country (especially if you're not used to it) is to wear light layers.

• Long johns/underwear - usually made of cotton or wool - touch your skin and keep your skin happy because this fabric is breathable.
• Long sleeved shirt and pants - not too thick (of course depends how cold it is outside and how long you'll BE outside and how much you're moving).
• Wool socks
• GOOD winter boots - warm on the inside, waterproof, quick-to-dry if possible, excellent grip underneath.  It gets slippery - and the rest won't matter if you're falling all over the place and getting soaked and twisting your ankles and whatnot.  It's worth the investment and can last you several years!!
• Snow pants or even basic wind/water proof pants (I went one winter just wearing "track pants" that were breathable, water-proof and wind-proof.  I wore thick pants underneath like fleece pajama bottoms and long johns beneath those and felt perfectly fine!).
• Winter coat - should have a hood, reflectors, wind/water/snow resistant/proof.  Brightly coloured helps too - especially if you're hiking or travelling and have a tendency to get lost....
• Scarf or cowl - nobody enjoys a sore throat.
• Hat/toque (Canadian term)/Pipo (Finnish word)
• Ski mask helps on very blustery and cold days!!!  I have a great thin one from Mountain Equipment Co-Op, a Canadian sporting/outdoor shop.  Best thing I ever bought.
• Mittens/Gloves 
• Moisturizer - not just your hands and body - but your face and lips!!!
• Sun-screen...yes you can get burnt on exposed skin when skiing or being out for long periods of time (or even short ones with sensitive skin) in the winter. 

Signs of FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA....
In case you've never had it, been close to experiencing it - or have never been to a country with a snowy/freezing winter - you may want to check the link above.

It's also handy (even if you don't have children) to get a pull-sled to get your groceries!  Because walking in the snow that's not been plowed can be hard enough - may as well make use of it and drag your groceries (especially heavy things!) quickly along the snow!!

I think that's everything....but just keep an eye on the weather and ask a Finnish friend (or friend that's lived here through a winter or two) to help you out!!!

Happy 3rd Finniversary To Us!

Today is the 13th and that means 3 years ago today:

• I was 26 weeks pregnant with our first child.
• We were at the Halifax International Airport and they didn't charge us for travelling with the dogs because they had no idea how to.  (Due to the delay in the American airport we had to re-check our luggage and dogs and then we paid...thankfully it was only once!)
• We were re-routed to Connecticut airport instead of JFK for whatever reason and ended up missing our remaining flights...
• We got on the wrong trains in Helsinki to Jyv�skyl�...
• We finally gave up and left our dog's kennel boxes at some random train station :(.  Which totally sucks because we have bigger dogs and they were quite expensive (even second hand!)...
• Some tall stranger with long hair was running towards us when we got to the JKL train station and I nearly peed myself because I thought we were about to be robbed...(typical Nova Scotian thinking) - turned out to be my husband's supervisor there to pick us up and help us move to our flat.

Fast-forward 3-years:

• We have 2 boys...and gave them super Finnish names since they were born here.
• I am a champ at looking for cloth diapers and love using them - probably not something I would have done in Canada to be honest!
• We still have our dogs!  One is 9 and the other is almost 5.
• We still do not speak fluent Finnish - but we're working on that...
• We have not been to all of Finland - especially the super tourist-y places like Lapland (Northern Finland) for example...working on that one too.
• I've been to Ikea only once (it's a Swedish company).
• We still do not own or have rented a car - no need for one really.
• I have had 1 piece of black licorice and still do not like it...and no, we haven't tried salmiakki - a very strong black licorice.  Despite being advised to have a piece every now and again to increase my blood pressure during the second pregnancy - I have some sort of fear and often think of it as "Salmi-yucky".
• I still do not drink coffee...but the hubby says it is better than the stuff in Canada...
• I have a K Plussa card and an S Bonus card but require a Finnish ID card (55� - thinking about it) to spend the benefits earned on the green S Bonus Card....working on that one too.
• I've fought with Kela and won some things and lost others and still have a love-hate relationship with them.
• I should probably get new glasses with my eye sight going down the drain...I've had the same pair for over 4 years and clearly my sight is crappy.
• I'm learning how to ride a bike here...yup.  That's work in progress anyway.
• I still order my book from The Book Depository and DVDs from Play.com - because it's so much cheaper than buying here sometimes!  And a wider selection of English books - that's for sure!
• I've had a wide range of experiences with meeting people, other dog owners and of course the local drunks...
• I have made quite a few friends - despite doctors or random strangers believe to be true.  It's not hard - well, some friends took a bit of poking and prodding but now we chat quite regularly now - even in person! (HA you know who you are!)
• I admit I'm pretty good at faking Finnish - or at least the cultural part where you firmly nod your head and say "Joo..." (yes) and nothing else after that.
• We love it here!  And we really do hope to make this a permanent home for us and our family - as it would make things a lot easier - especially when it comes to learning Finnish! :D
  
  Here's to another few more!

SHHH!

This happened a few weeks ago, but I am only getting around to blogging about it now...

A few Friday nights ago, we had invited our friends over for our weekly "Pizza and Sauna" get-together.  It's a great time for all because they're on a strict diet - so Friday is their "cheating day".
We also invited another friend who also ordered pizza and she brought her Polish hound-dog (looks like a grey hound).

That's all fine and we're having a grand old time snacking on pizza and have already been to sauna (we split our hour into half, so they get some time for watching our kids while we're in there) and someone rings the door bell at 10:30pm-ish.
Not knowing who that could be, seeing as the front and rear entrances automatically lock at 9pm, I went to look.

A young man was there (probably older than me - in his 30's) and started talking to me in Finnish.  I advised him I don't speak Finnish, but one of my guests does and I could get her to translate.
He says that's not necessary but advises me that we are too noisy.

Oh.  My first noise complaint - ouch.
Okay, I ask where he lives, and he's directly beneath me (I've never EVER seen him before) - I apologize and ask what he can hear.
"We hear everything.  We hear you throwing a ball, screaming..."
(The dogs were recently chomping on dog bones but we removed those by 10pm - so perhaps that's what he meant by a ball?  As we don't throw a ball after 9pm and haven't done so in a LONG time.  We can't even find them.)
"Oh, I am very sorry to hear this.  How long have you been hearing noises from us?  Because we have a 2-year old that is teething...and a 4-month old too.  And 2 larger dogs..."

At which point all 3 dogs look at my neighbour and he has a mild-heart attack (not really).  I smiled and said the 3rd was a guest and is leaving soon.

WELL.
He tells me that him and his room-mate (girlfriend or wife) have not been able to sleep for a year.  (The previous renters had children as young as ours and we have never heard anything from them either).
BUT he now understands our situation - that we have a 2-year old who can scream non-stop (regardless of the pain meds we give him) and a couple dogs...(they don't bark by the way).

That's right....a whole year has gone by and he is FINALLY telling me.
I bluntly asked him, "Well, if it's been going on for the past year as you've said, why haven't you said anything?  We could have tried to deal with it much sooner instead of you waiting a year.  I'm sorry you're not able to sleep but neither are we - he's not screaming for fun, but because he's in pain and there's only so much medicine we can give him."

He shrugged his shoulders sheepishly and said again, he understands and hopes we can keep things quiet by 10pm, because that's when the building is supposed to be quiet.
I asked my Finnish friends why in the world he would wait a year to say something, and most said they would NOT wait a year (neither would I) and the others said it's because he's Finnish.  "Something must have really pissed him off if it took all of his guts and courage to come upstairs and face you to complain."  is what a friend said via email.
Well, I would have left a note or said something MUCH sooner than 12 months later - and told him that he could have done so....

Now, you have to look at your rental agreement or just ask your landlord - but this may not be true for all buildings.
In fact, our building's "quiet hours" are from 11pm-6am.  I was pretty sure it was 11pm, but didn't say anything more...that and it was a FRIDAY NIGHT.
We don't have large parties past 4-5pm and they only occur about 3x a year for the kids' birthdays and whatnot...when it's warmer, we take it out in the back yard and again, it's done by 6pm....we don't play loud music or loud movies at all....

So apparently the concrete block between our floors is not very thick and that's why he can hear everything.

Oh and if you get 3 "formal noise complaints" from your landlord or building supervisor - you're evicted.
No excuses - you're gone.
Just an FYI....