On Acclimating

One of the nice things about a three month stay in Finland is that there's no rush to see all of the sights immediately (despite being told that I can see everything in just two or three days).  Yet, since I hope to be more than just a tourist in the capital city of Helsinki, there's a lot of adjustment that must take place.  For instance, simply waiting at the curb of the bus stop does not ensure that the bus will actually stop for you.  Misplacing important pieces of paper with prepaid cell phone credits will ensure that you look foolish when returning to the phone store to ask how you're supposed to add the talk time to your phone.  My American Express card insists that I don't leave home without it -- but in Finland, I'd be just fine without it, as it's not universally accepted.  Thankfully, the past few days of acclimation have been relatively smooth.  I was even able to successfully point a stranger in the right direction of a large department store.

Yet, the most difficult acclimation challenge that I've faced (in both Sweden and Finland) is at the grocery store.  All of the products are familiar, but different, and just entering the grocery store raises my blood pressure a bit.  Am I going to mistakenly buy yogurt instead of milk, or milk instead of yogurt?  I'm used to buying in ounces and pounds, and now I'm looking at liters, grams, and "kpl."  How can I be sure that I'm getting a good buy when I don't completely know how much of a product I'm buying or how far my devalued dollar will go?  My first trip to the grocery store was nearly a complete failure, mostly due to entering the store just fifteen minutes before closing (which will result in grocery store employees wrapping all of the produce up and conspicuously following you to ensure that you're making your way to the check out counter).  Fortunately, the second trip was much more positive, thanks to the help of a Finnish friend who gave cheese and chocolate recommendations (staple foods) and was able to reach high enough to grab black beans from the shelf.

Aside from grocery store visits, I've spent more time touring the city this weekend.  The sun was shining today and I enjoyed getting lost in the crowd of two busy markets in downtown Helsinki.

Orthodox church in the distance

One of many fresh fruit stands

Suomi and seagulls

Candies galore!

Tomorrow's agenda: Day 1 of my internship at the American Embassy!