Learn Finnish - with cats!

A study showed that studying languages might be much easier if images of cute cats are shown to be associated with phrases. True or not, cute cats are always good, so why not combine them with Finnish lessons? :) NOTE: I'm not planning to take on grammar and such too much, this blog is rather intended to be a collection of words and phrases (supported by cute cats).

[catfinnish]

Visit Finland has launched a new initiative through which you can rent a Finn to be your happiness guide during your travel in Finland. Sounds interesting! :)

If you wish to experience the balanced Finnish lifestyle with a local (free of charge!), you can send your application through this site until 14th April. You can read a bit more about this initiative here.

Note: the word “vuokrata” can also mean to let (as a landlord).

[catfinnish]

According to the latest Good Country Index, Finland has contributed the most to the good of humanity. Awesome! :)

You can the full ranking here.

[catfinnish]

Hi! I have a Finnish friend who yells “minna minna minna” at hockey games. I think she means “GO GO GO!” Is this correct? What is the proper spelling?

Hi! It is possible that the person was shouting something like "mene, mene", which would literally translate to "go, go", but this is not used so much to show support, but rather to "instruct" so to say (so e.g. when you're being frustrated at a player for not moving). It is a lot more common to show support by shouting the team's name or chanting their songs. Hope this helps :)

[catfinnish]

According to a scientific study, a regular visit to the sauna can reduce the risk of heart disease. This is indeed a Finnish habit worth trying! :)

You can read a bit more about the study here.

[catfinnish]

According to a study conducted by The Eco Experts, Finland is the second best country to be a vegetarian. Nice! :) 

You can see how other countries fared here.

[catfinnish]

According to statistics from the World Health Organisation, Finland has the cleanest air in the world. Nice! :)

You can read more about this here.

[catfinnish]

Finns have left their footprints in surprisingly many places all around the world. 

Do you want to see some examples? Check out this article for that.

[catfinnish]

Finns are known for having something called “sisu”, which is a complex notion with no perfect translation available. Suggestions for the English equivalent of the word include resilience, perseverance, determination and guts among others, but none of these manage to convey the full meaning of sisu...

Read more about Finnish sisu and its meaning here.

[catfinnish]

According to a study carried out by TotallyMoney, Finland has the fourth-best work-life balance in Europe. Nice! :)

If you want to see how other countries fared, you can see the full ranking here.

[catfinnish]

According to a study carried out by Travelbird, a Dutch booking site, Helsinki is one of the world’s most welcoming cities, being only preceded by Singapore and Stockholm. Nice! :)

If you are curious how other cities fared, you can see the complete ranking here.

[catfinnish]

Today is “Yrittäjän päivä” (entrepreneur’s day), when Finland celebrates its brilliant entrepreneurs, who have contributed significantly to the country throughout the last decades.

You can learn more about the day here.

Are you interested in becoming an entrepreneur in Finland? Here is a comprehensive online publication to support immigrant entrepreneurship.

[catfinnish]

Today is National Sleepyhead Day (”unikeonpäivä”) in Finland. The holiday itself has its roots in religion (originating from the legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus), but nowadays it is a rather informal celebration. Traditionally, on this day, “sleepyheads” (people sleeping the longest) were woken up by using water, either by being thrown into the sea or a lake or by having water poured on them. The city of Naantali still observes this tradition as part of their grand sleepyhead festivities.

You can read more about the Finnish Sleepyhead Day here.

[catfinnish]

Finland is among the best countries to be a father, with 8 weeks of paid paternity leave granted to all new dads. Not bad! :)

If you want to know which other countries have generous paternity leave policies, you can check out this list.

[catfinnish]

Yesterday, nightless nights have begun in Utsjoki, Northern Finland, which means that the sun won’t set for two months (until 27th July, to be exact). This phenomenon is also called the Midnight Sun.

You can read more about Arctic summers here.

[catfinnish]

At Finnish schools, students get free lunch every day. Cool, right?

If you are wondering how much it actually costs for the taxpayers, you can read YLE’s report about it here.

[catfinnish]

According to The Independent, Finland has the world’s safest banks. Nice! :)

You can see here which other countries have made it to the top 14.

[catfinnish]

According to eDreams’ ranking, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is the best airport in the world. Nice! :)

You can see full listing here.