Pre-publication information: Handbook for Survival in Finland (2024 Edition)

We are thrilled to announce the forthcoming edition of our popular "Handbook for Survival in Finland", initially unveiled to readers in 1994. 

Immerse yourself in the splendour and intrigue of Finland with our latest update! 

Cover of the First Edition of "Handbook For Survival in Finland", (1994)

The updated edition, projected for release in the autumn of 2024, promises a renewed and expansive insight into the heart of the Nordic nation.

Highly revered for its humorous, satarical and accessible style, the guidebook leverages our four decades of personal experience and research, offering an extensive survey of Finland's geography, history, politics, economy, culture, language, and everyday life.

This blog post, one of 2000 blog entries by us over 28 years, aims to navigate you through the contents anticipated in the new edition. 

We are proud self-publishers of an array of books, including 

“for the hour of his judgement is come;…”, (1994)

“Seven Years Hard Labour in Finnish Holiday Camp - A Finnish University", (1994)

"Sports as an Effective Tool for Integration of Ethnic Minorities in Oulu", (2001)

"Raising a Child the Montessori Way", (2004)

"59ers Golden Reunion", (2009)

"Edible Art" (editions in both Finnish and English), (2011)

"Freedom of Speech - Whose?", (2014) and

'.

"The Titanic Called India" (2015).

Our comprehensive expertise and four-decade-long research journey have established us as esteemed authorities on Finland. The forthcoming edition is predicted to offer a trove of indispensable knowledge and insights that only we, with our caliber of experience, can deliver.

Our updated edition pledges an in-depth analysis of Finland's myriad facets, from profound geography to intricate politics. This ambitious endeavour aligns perfectly with our proficiency and the guidebook's core objectives. As we unmask new details, we understand readers' anticipation and skepticism, which we hope this announcement will address.

In the world of cultural guidebooks, a new edition generates thrill and intrigue. The promised extensive exploration of Finland's nuances presents a beacon of hope for readers longing for enlightenment. For now, readers can only hypothesize the wealth of knowledge concealed within the forthcoming edition.

When assessing the credibility of our updated "Handbook for Survival in Finland", it's vital to recognize our qualifications. With 40 years of dedicated research and understanding, we are proven authorities on Finland. This profound knowledge lends credence to the potential value of the new edition for readers seeking comprehensive insights into this captivating country.

From our inception as founders of the global Findians (Finns and Indians) Community, we have offered a distinct perspective on Finland. 

First Issue of “Findians Briefings” (1992)

We have been publishing “Findians Briefings” from 1992.

As readers eagerly await the release of the new edition, they can expect a cornucopia of updated information and fresh viewpoints on Finland. Be sure to watch for updates on the availability and pre-order details for this highly anticipated guidebook.

The forthcoming edition is reputed to be a comprehensive guide, offering a wealth of information on Finland's diverse aspects. As we draw from our extensive store of knowledge and experience, the credibility of the new edition remains indisputable. Our dedication to unveiling the mysteries of Finland has earned us recognition as authorities in this field.

We promise an enriching journey into Finland's heart, converging information about the language, daily life, and cultural tapestry. The promise of updated data and new perspectives underlines our commitment to enhancing the reader's knowledge of and experience with Finland.

As the anticipation builds for the autumn 2024 release, readers can look forward to diving into a wealth of meticulously curated information. We take pride in our profound understanding of Finland, and our commitment to accuracy and authenticity shines through in our work. Our upcoming edition of the "Handbook for Survival in Finland" is a must-have resource for anyone interested in the intricacies of this Nordic nation. 

With us as your guides, readers can trust they are in skilled hands, steered by experts genuinely invested in showcasing the best (and worst) of Finland. Our unique viewpoint and commitment to sharing the richness of Finnish culture make us stand out as guidebook authors.

The forthcoming edition is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the wonders of Finland from two dedicated and passionate individuals. We invite you to stay tuned for more updates on this exciting new edition!

Life of Annikki - Another facet

 

In the past few weeks I have given you a glimpse of the success of the “Laughing Goddess” Annikki in a variety of fields. 

Cake designing - Edible Art 1

Other food designing - Edible Art 2

Drawing and painting

Interiors designing

Garden designing 

Crocheting

That is not the extent of the talents of this fascinating personality..

I give here her work as a researcher and an author in producing books on a variety  of subjects.

Her first book was about the last stages of her life in India. She faith in God was reinforced by this experience. So much so that when she returned tpo Finland she resigned from the Finnish church as she lived by her principles!

The second book was authored jointly with me on how to survive in Finland. This book was produced after 10 years of intensive research by both of us. There was no Google or AI those days so research meant physical research.

She then carried an intensive course of 4 years on Montessori Edication between 1991 and 1995 which she completed with distinction of 98%.

 

She then wrote her comprehensive book on raising a child the Montessori way applicable for children between 0 and 6 years.

She helped me design and prepare the Coffee Table  Book for the Golden Reunion of my school Class of 1959.

The next book she authored in two stages, first only in Finnish and the 2nd edition was in both Finnish and English on freedom of speech in Finland. In this she used her Finnish sarcasm tone fullest extent, butI was not competent to get the same effect with the English translation!

Then with me and Sriradhakrishnan Polsetti, she authored the book on Edible Art, both in English and Finnish. Here her photographic skills were also evident, a subject I have not touched upon in this series.

She jointly authored our book after our final visit to India.

Besides this she has authored many tens of articles on a variety of subjects published in many publications, especially our fortnightly newsletter, Findians Briefings, which had a circulation of about 80000 readers worldwide. 

I recently showed you in my previous blog, Face to Face - Kanha, one of her articles published in our Oulu newspaper, Kaleva

Because of many moves of residence in the last three years, I have lost many of her articles and also lost a lot of her research work on a variety of subjects such as music, religious intolerance, yoga, nutrition, and many more subjects covering all aspects of life.

Her hand written notes were all in shorthand Finnish so I was not able to understand most them, and she had lost the ability to decipher them. 

There is a saying that one whose TV size is bigger than one’s bookshelf needs to be listened to with great caution. 

In our case, Annikki’s bookshelf is 30 times mine on such a variety of subjects as religion, nutrition, gardens, recipes, interior designing, and filled with such great authors as R. K. Narayan and Jim Corbett. 

She has almost the entire collection of books by and about Maria Montessori and the Montessori system of education. 

She also has almost the entire collection of books by Ellen G. White and her prophetic works.

Like me, she grew up on the annual diet of the Manorama Year Book, so her general knowledge was vast. The difference between her and me was that I shouted  my "knowledge" from the mountain top but she used her knowledge in daily life to get things done!

She has been my friend, guide and counsellor on almost every important event in our lives. She has never been politically oriented but she stood for human rights and dignity of the human being.

When we had the recent spat with the O-India Ry, she very quickly advised me to terminate links as this association did not fit with our Guiding Principles. 

I had no hesitation in following her advice as she has never been wrong!

Orienting to a new life in Finland

We had the good fortune to host a young Indinn student for about two months on his arrival to join Oulu University. The Northern Finland Housing Fund (PSOAS) could not offer him accommodation. 

A friend from Tampere asked us for assistance to find some accommodation for this young 17 year old boy.

We have had considerable experience in looking after visitors as over 10000 Indian IT engineers have been with us, as a commercial enterprise between 2006 to 2016.  

I remember how  IT engineers from LnT arrived in Oulu without even proper clothing. The team leader found one of our web pages and there was a call for help. 

We helped them find accommodation, (which later became known as , India House) introduced them to the flea market culture and helped them settle in. 

After that we started a commercial enterprise and it spread from Oulu to Espoo, Tampere, Helsinki, Vantaa, and also Kuopio and Raahe.

We knew they had several problems and helped most of them get through the initial phase. Simple tasks like finding and changing a fuse in an apartment could be a daunting task for someone who has no experience of the systems in Finland. 

The language was another big problem.  Opening a bank account, using cash machine machine and even filling petrol at a petrol station were new tasks for many of them.

Now we are too old to provide that sort of physical support and we are also too old to start and run a business.

I talked to Annikki about this. 

As our son had moved to his own apartment and his room was free, we offered his room for a period of two months so that the student could get his own apartment. 

As one of our guiding principle states, is to offer a helping hand to anyone who reaches out for help.

We thought that could help him in many ways as we could enjoy his company and at the same time find out how such youngsters should learn about Finnish life. 

We are two generations away and have to change our thinking frequency to understand their mindset.

We found that  youngsters are ill -equipped with information on how to cope with life in Finland.

We gave this student a copy of our out-dated 1994 book “Handbook for Survival in Finland”. 

A second student arrived soon after to stay in a nearby apartment. He had accommodation but still was raw in many other ways. 

We also gave him a copy of our book.

 But I knew the data was not complete. I also realised there were huge gaps in the information.

For instance, the very simple tradition of taking off the shoes when one enters a house, is not one that young people know or understand. 

Finnish children get educated in life as they grow up. They have school classes which tell them the essentials. Many children go to summer camps where they learn to interact with others positively.

Annikki and I decided we would put together a book about how these youngsters should be informed about important aspects of Finnish life and culture so that they do not face problems when they start their new life in Finland.

I have set up the peliminary list of chapters for the book. 

We are interested to know if any of our ethnic minority students and residents who have established themselves in Finland would like to share in this task by writing their own experiences. 

The more the merrier.

I read today that because of the spat between Canada and India the number of students likely to come to Finland is likely to rise dramatically in the coming years.

Please contact us with your offer for contribution. Whatever comes will be edited by me to fit our style. Many subjects have to be presented in a manner which is not harsh or derrogotary.

We look forward to your active participation in this project which we think is important as every arrival is an Ambassador for his country and it is important to put a good foot forward to be readily accepted into Finnish life.

Here are the India House events which helped build our community 15 years ago.