The Finnish way of life
People, lifestyle and climate - all are one of a kind. It came from faraway Argentina, music that spoke to the Finnish soul. Finnish tango is always in a minor key. It tells sad stories of love lost, of a home in the forest that will never be seen again.
Any generalization is bound to be wrong, not just because there are five million Finns, but also because Finnish life is changing so fast. Fifty years ago, most Finns lived in the countryside. Today they live in cities and towns. And they have half a million cottages so that they can escape to the countryside every weekend. First they build the sauna, so that they'll be able to keep clean while building the cottage. They dress in "cottage clothes" that are old and faded, but very comfortable. And they have a broadband internet connection for the laptop.
Finland is covered with forests. Finns harvest the trees to make paper. And then they use the paper to write sad songs about the life they left behind in the forest.
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