A city adjacent to the sea is a kind of good fortune. Not to mention Helsinki is close to the Baltic Sea. I have always had a good impression of the Baltic Sea, but I can't explain why. Maybe I think the name sounds very chic, sweet and lovely? The Baltic Sea is rippling in the very far north. A sea of grim beauty.
Sure enough, I thought it would be better to see it with my own eyes. I have traveled thousands of miles to Helsinki, and the first and most indelible impression is that Helsinki is the blessing of the Toppolo Sea. From the Gulf of Finland, to be precise, the sweet and warm sea breeze from the Baltic Sea swept Helsinki softly and motherly. As a result, this Nordic capital suddenly became smart, looking particularly charming and elegant. I remember that in the summer of 2009, when the Finnish female president visited Russia, she warmly and solemnly invited the young and capable President Medvedev to take a dip in the Baltic Sea during his next return visit. It can be seen that the Finns are very proud and unconcealed proud of being next to the Baltic Sea.
The most convenient is to watch the sea from the South Pier in Helsinki. There are many luxury passenger ships traveling leisurely in the blue bay, and there are daily flights to Sweden, Estonia, and Germany. The bay is undoubtedly noisy and cheerful, full of youthful dynamism, but it is not enough to appreciate the vastness and vastness of the sea. It doesn't matter, you take the ferry and go southeast for up to 20 minutes to board the small island where Finland's very famous ancient fortress is located, where you will feel full of the sea. I was fortunate enough to sit alone on the ancient fort on the very edge of the jasper-like verdant island, facing the Baltic Sea, and I saw that the water of the surging waves was full of light, full, vast, rolling, and I didn't feel the world of the universe. Majestic and incomparable, suddenly my mind is blank, I don’t know where and when!
Helsinki is not the kind of city that is keen on avant-garde fashion and loses its sense of historical vicissitudes, but it seems that it is full of Nordic classicism. The building is very calm in moon white or beige, and on the whole it seems to be a demure young woman in plain clothes. There are only two cathedrals, one in white and one in gold, each belonging to Christianity and Orthodoxy. Yes, Helsinki has a strong refined and poetic atmosphere that makes you feel clean, peaceful and warm.
Everything here seems so casually laid-back. In Helsinki, which has a population of less than 600,000, it is difficult to see a crowded scene on the streets. Except when commuting to and from get off work, almost all the people you see are calm and light in their footsteps, there is hardly a trace of anxious cloud on their faces, and they look like they live a very moist and leisurely life. After all, it is the country with the most mature social security system in the world, so there is no worries. Needless to say, you don't have to pay out of your own pocket to see a doctor and go to school, including college. Some things may sound unbelievable, but let’s talk about soldiers. Even if soldiers only “work” for 4 days a week, they can go home the rest of the time. In fact, the service period is only 10 months, and some military services are only 6 months. Soldier is too comfortable, isn't it too sparse? Coupled with the high salary, it is no wonder that young people in Finland join the army very enthusiastically. Also, I also met a beggar on the street. He was well-dressed, almost no different from ordinary people. He suddenly extended his hand to you, which really surprised you. Each of them can receive a net living allowance of 800 euros from the government each month. !
Helsinki has countless large and small cafes that are very elegant, and almost all have rows of open-air cafes in front of the door. Here, men and women hold cups, or drink alone, or drink with friends, enjoy the golden sunshine of the North, and watch the changing street scenery leisurely. They especially love sunshine. The more sunny the cafe in front of the door, the more customers. As the shadow of the sun slowly moves, people continue to change their "positions". I actually found that many cafes that started to be shaded are actually in front of the door. Soon the seats are empty to the point of no one! Helsinki people are the ones chasing the sun. I really can't imagine how they spent the long "polar night" in winter.
The open-air cafe at the South Pier Farmers Market is even more interesting. Snow-white gulls flew down from the sky and landed on the table generously, accompanied by almost zero distance with the guests, pecking at the scraps of food without restraint. As the sun was setting, the business in the market gradually became light. I saw many traders who were idle, bowing their heads to feed the gulls and birds that were parked at their feet. The harmony between man and nature is so inspiring.
We were staying at the Radisson Hotel in the city center. This area is quite prosperous, not far from the railway station, the Ateneum Art Museum, the Postal Museum, and the closest is the famous casino in Helsinki. From the advertising materials placed in the hotel, it is known that this casino has 300 slot machines, 30 gaming tables, 3 restaurants, 3 bars, as well as singing and dancing performances, which is prominent enough. I heard that the casino's business is very good, but when we go back to the hotel every night, passing the entrance of the casino, it's hard to see anyone coming in and out. The impression is very deep, but the milky white neon lights are quietly flashing quietly. I think: Helsinki people must be very low-key. It can only be explained that way.
exactly. Friends at the embassy told us that Finnish men are very introverted and often even shy. If you see a man here who is not like this, he must be drunk, or he is not a Finn, but a foreigner. Finns are good hunters, mainly deer, and like to live alone in forests and lakes. In Finland, the urban population is small, and they are far from the city, and they try to make relationships easier. That’s why Finns are very simple and sincere. According to friends from the embassy, if you are shopping at the South Wharf Open-Air Farmers Market and think that something from a vendor is expensive, ask if there is any cheaper here? He will happily point to another nearby. Yipai: "That one is cheaper than me!" When you go over and ask, it's true.
Helsinki people are very hospitable and genuinely sincere. In fact, all Finns are like this, and they don't have the self-esteem, the sympathy and the difficulty of friendship that some Western Europeans have. We were only in Helsinki for one week, and the Alexander Institute, as the inviter, invited us three times by the respected and erudite Director Kievening and his wife. Moreover, every time, they are specially arranged in a very characteristic restaurant that is frequented by some celebrities and cultural elites, and they are treated with very authentic Finnish food and wine.
We are always interested to hear his lively introduction to Finland. He talked about the history of Finland. Adjacent Sweden and Russia once ruled Finland for hundreds of years. Finland has always traveled between Sweden and Russia, and now it still maintains an extraordinary relationship with Sweden and Russia. It is especially incredible that the statue of Alexander II of Russia still stands tall in the Parliament Square in Helsinki. The director said that in comparison, the emperor had a good reputation and gave Finland a lot of autonomy at that time. Although Russia cut off a lot of Finland's land, it is said that the territory of Finland originally looked like a man with arms raised and wearing a long skirt. A girl, but a large piece of her right arm and right skirt corner was cut off by Russia.
The director also spoke about the Finnish society and economy. Finland is now the country with the highest quality of life in the world. Finland's paper industry and telecom equipment manufacturing industry are well-developed, and "Nokia" is well-known all over the world. Finland has a forest coverage rate of 75%, which is said to provide an incomparably rich raw material for the paper industry. But the Finns are very smart and do not develop their own forests, but import wood from Russia because the price is cheap. After the financial crisis, the price of wood in Russia has risen, and the Finnish paper industry has been hit to some extent. Finland is self-sufficient in food and fruit. Finland exports purified water to foreign countries such as Saudi Arabia.
The director also discussed Finnish culture, cultural differences between East and West, and mutual cultural exchanges. The famous writer Alexis and the work "Seven Brothers" are the pride of Finland. The outstanding musician Sibelius is another pride of Finland. The director made no secret of the pride these cultural celebrities brought him. In a cafe with a strong classical romantic atmosphere, we were surprised to see a row of huge spherical white lanterns hanging down as soon as we looked up, how different from the big red lanterns in our East that were full of joy and auspiciousness! Chang said: The cultural difference between the East and the West is even reflected in the cognitive meaning of colors... The director also arranged for us to visit the Confucius Institute, which is located in the same building as the Institute. There are children of overseas Chinese who have studied in the Confucius Institute, and most of them are purely local people. The teaching methods are very different, such as holding a Chinese salon, allowing Chinese and Finnish married couples to talk in Chinese how to gradually overcome cultural differences and even cultural conflicts, and finally achieve cultural integration, which is very lively and interesting, and the effect is very good.
Finnish saunas have always been known far and wide. Every family has a sauna, which can be said to be popular. During this visit, the enthusiastic host invited us to wash the sauna on a small island called Santa Hamina. The island is also located in the Baltic Sea. In the sauna room made of logs, the owner proudly pointed to the rich green trees outside the window and the blue sea so close at hand, saying: "It's like a painting! Finns have a habit of being naked in After bathing in the hot sauna for a while, he jumped into the cold water to soak, and then returned to the sauna. We are going to jump into the Baltic Sea, of course. It's a pity that my swimming skills are very bad, I didn't dare to go into the water, and I lost the opportunity to get in touch with the Baltic Sea in vain. I still regret it now!
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