How TOUGH are YOU?

Finns love saunas....there's no shame in the naked body (I'll post about that separately) and there's nothing "odd" or taboo about seeing someone else naked at all!

However, in the video I'm about to share with you (not made by me - found it on Youtube while searching for something else)  - they wear bathing suits because it's being filmed internationally and there are hundreds of spectators....

Did you know - there are such things as "SAUNA CHAMPIONSHIPS"??!?!?!?!
For real!
So the point is to sit in a sauna with other people and see who can last the longest without passing out, covering your face or eyes, leaving/chickening out or dying.  (Apparently in a sauna championship there was once a Russian and a Finn...the Russian died and the Finn was the champ.  No joke!)
And someone is increasing the temperature by adding water to the stove, which causes more steam...higher temperatures and less oxygen in the sauna for you to breathe.
People have been forced to leave (a judge looks in while another judge tracks the time) and given immediate medical attention (and cold water of course).

Don't believe me? Check out this video...

Well, may I also remind you from one of my much earlier posts (I can't find it right now but I'll quickly explain again) - that in the winter - Finns (not all but some) enjoy sauna...near a lake?

They go in the sauna and to cool off - if they choose not to use the shower (why bother since it's winter outside and dry?!) they stand out in the snow or outside of the sauna building...yeah I've done that before (in a towel outside).

And sometimes..........they jump into a hole made in the lake!
And sometimes....they jump into the hole made in the lake and then - 




ROLL IN THE SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yeah...and they still live to tell the tale.  (And rush back into the sauna after to warm up then put their clothes back on if they're done).
I spoke to a friend's husband and he told me he did it all the time before GOING TO SCHOOL!  It was a great way to wake up and start the day fresh...yeah no kidding.
I asked about frost bite or hypothermia (or is it hyper...anyway) - and he said if you're in the lake for a couple of seconds then jump back out and rush back indoors - you're fine.
You're at higher risk for frost bite and other dangers if you stay in the water too long.

So in case you're wondering - no I have never and will probably never ever roll in the snow or jump in a lake.
Partially because the lake is too far away, the sauna's in my building and I am too much of a chicken.
(And we lack snow right now too...the rain melted it all!)

S��ksm�ki and Sauna!

We just got back today from S��ksm�ki (well-known for it's folklore and folk music), we were at a friend's cottage and I took some photos to share with you!

At a nearby animal farm...

At a lake

This photo was not edited at all - but I want to show you the "Traditional Finnish Country Side".  It's beautiful!

Inside of a Finnish sauna

A wood stove heats the rocks and you splash water on them to increase the steam (and the heat).  This is called a "Smiley Face stove"...do you see the smiley face?

Bunches of birch branches...I thought it was a decoration.

I have NEVER done the birch-branches-slap-yourself thing before and couldn't stop laughing at the idea of it.

Okay, let me rewind.  Two of my friends and I went into the sauna and I didn't even notice the "bucket of leaves" until one friend Miira said, "Oh! Have you been using the birches?"

The hostess, Teija, says, "Oh not really but Mikko has been....would you like to?"

Miira's excited and I have no idea what's going on.  I thought it was a decoration of sorts.

So they look at me and asked if I've ever used birch branches before in the sauna.

I must've had a stunned "WTF" look on my face because they laughed and said, "Now you get to try the 'Ultimate Finnish Sauna Experience'"....

Uh oh.

We go in there and arrange ourselves and Miira dips the bound birch branches into the bucket of water and starts slapping herself with them.  My jaw is hanging to the floor and I'm confused.

Then they explained that the slapping motion onto the skin encourages and increases blood circulation, the birch oil soothes and conditions your skin - and in general - it feels great and smells good.

Uh - okay.

Then Teija suggested she "toast" the branches a bit...(My instant thought was: "CRAP - it's going to get really smokey in here if they catch on fire and what does she mean?")

So Teija took the branches, soaked them in the bucket and held it over the stove of rocks for a minute, rotating them like a marshmallow on a stick.  (I personally couldn't feel the difference - but they could).

So this heats the water drops a bit and the leaves make a splendid crinkling sound while "toasting"...then it's back to SLAP SLAP SLAP!

Summer Life in Finland

Another wonderful warm day in Finland...and where it is much drier than Nova Scotia...it's not humid!  I love it here!
With the exception that it can get quite hot and dry, as we're on the top floor and the sun aims itself into our flat regularly....

So how does one "Survive" a Finnish summer?
Seeing as this is our second summer...let me explain what we've been doing.

First of all - there's about 20 hours of sunlight a day now...wild eh? ("eh" is a Canadian thing...just a filler but sounds like "ei" which means "no" in Finnish)
Don't believe me? Check out this video of a time lapse I found on Youtube (through Facebook) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTjyt-6hJQw&feature=youtu.be

Where it's a drier summer - I don't recommend wearing contacts.  And nose bleeds tend to be common if you're not used to this dry, hot weather (think Alberta, Canada)...to help prevent nosebleeds - use a Q-Tip and some vaseline and put some into your nostrils.
Sounds disgusting but my brother and I grew up with awful nosebleeds (think 2+ hours)...this is the only thing that helped after our parents hunted around for a remedy for us!

Okay! So back to Finnish summers, because there is a tonne of sunlight- you need super dark curtains.  Or you will not get much sleep! Especially if you're sensitive to light!
Even at midnight, the sun sits on the horizon for a couple hours then comes back up by 3 or 4am!  My husband often takes the dogs out at this hour - to avoid other dogs and he also brings books with him so he can do some reading while the dogs run around.  That's how light it is outside.
One could do crafts outside at that hour...it's that light enough!

Mosquitoes aren't as bad here as NS but I suppose it depends on what part of Finland you go to.  The more Northern parts of Finland have swarms of them....like in Lapland!
Wasps and ticks are common...liquid flea/tick treatments for dogs run about 44� for 3 months and can be found at the local pharmacy "Aptekki" or at your vet.  Pet shops do not sell this medication but they do have flea collars.  Some grocery stores carry the flea collar as well...

Even though the sauna is hot - Finns love their sauna.  Remember in the winter, I mentioned that the "really crazy Finns" like to go in the sauna then come out, roll in the snow and then jump into a hole in the lake?  Well summer version is apparently just hang out in the breeze and/or jump into the lake to cool off and repeat.

Cottage! Jyv�skyl� is a University kind of town - so when it's summer time - it can be a ghost town downtown....it doesn't have the tumbling bales of hay - but it's pretty empty in comparison to the school year. That, and a lot of people go to their summer cottage for a month or two and spend time with their family and relax.

BBQ! I love barbecuing...or "grill" as Finns refer to it...I love it so much!  That's one less pot or pan I have to clean!

A friend of mine suggested to keep all the windows closed and the curtains down throughout the day so the warm air doesn't blow inside...then once it's cooled off a bit - then open up your windows and you'll get the cooler breeze....

Swim, visit family and friends...and just enjoy all the sunshine you can because when winter comes...the sun comes up by 10am...and goes down by 3 or 4pm!