When in Finland (take a dip in the frozen lake!)

The snow is melting, leaving sidewalks with patches of slush and littered with tiny stones.

My bus pass ran out of credit, so I've been walking everywhere. I remember my first weeks in Finland, strolling around the city, noticing how quiet and calm the atmosphere felt. Cars weren't honking and people weren't talking loudly. After a few months, I realize that respecting personal space and speaking only when necessary are traditional Finnish values. Culture shock has gradually led to understanding and even appreciation.

At 5 p.m., Shiz and I went to the nearby public sauna (Rauhaniemi, built in 1929). There, we changed out of sweatpants, boots and coats, and into bathing suits and rubber slippers. We rinsed off, and then walked quickly to the sauna. The room was much larger than the one in Lapinkaari, and it smelled of warm wood and sweat. One woman threw water on the rocks, which produced a low hiss and heated up the room to over 100 degrees Celsius. There were mostly adults and some college students. People occasionally exchanged glances and words. I felt so warm and relaxed, open and released. Some 15 minutes later, when our breathing shortened and water ran low, we walked outside, the cold, fresh air filling our lungs. We drank some water and proceeded toward the lake, where stairs led into a hole in the ice. Two women in front swam for a few seconds with such ease, but we just managed to put our feet in. By the second and third times, we spent a whole five or six seconds in such biting, freezing water up to our shoulders. And then a final cycle of shower, sauna, lake, shower. At 7:30 we were done. I was tired but felt deeply refreshed and satisfied.

I'll try to take some updated pictures of the sauna and post.

Here are some from before:



(at night during December)



(midday during August)



(midday during the August)

At night, we ate fried rice and then watched "Children of Heaven" on Uz's laptop. It was a great film featuring two young siblings, with a simple story, honest scenes, strong characters and heartwarming messages.

A great day, and looking forward for more to come!

p.s.: I forgot to mention that I saw the northern lights from Tampere on Wednesday. They were pretty dim, dancing green lights.