Ten things I miss about Finland

No niin, ja sitten seuraava lista.  Blue Abaya -blogissa Laylah oli listannut kymmenen asiaa, joita kaipaa Suomesta ja ajattelin sitten minakin haaveilla hetken rakkaasta kotimaastani ja tehda samanmoisen listan.  Olkaa siis hyvat, alla kymmenen asiaa joita kaipaan Suomesta...

From one list to the next.  Laylah from the blog Blue Abaya had listed ten things she misses about Finland and I decided to do the same.  Below you find a list of the ten things I miss about my beautiful home country...

Ten things I miss about Finland/Kymmenen asiaa joita kaipaan Suomesta:

1.  Perhe ja ystavat/Family and friends

Tama on iso asia mulle, olen taistellut ristiriitaisten tunteiden kanssa viime aikoina, silla rakastan asua Englannissa, mutta koen suurta syyllisyydentuntoa siita, etten ole lahempana perhettani ja ystaviani Suomessa.  Onneksi Englanti on kuitenkin lahella Suomea.

I miss my family and friends back home so much, and I feel quilty about not living close to them.  I love living here in England but sometimes have mixed feelings about where I should be, England or Finland.  Luckily the two countries are quite close to one another.

2.  Mokki/ Summer house

Maailman rakkain paikka ja haluaisin olla siella paljon enemman kuin aika sallii. <3

The place I love the most in this world.  I wish I could be there much more. <3

3.  Sauna

Lapsuudenkodissani sauna lammitettiin lahes joka ilta.  On niin mahtavaa, etta useimmissa suomalaiskodeissa on sauna.  Mulle sauna merkitsee ihanaa lampoa, totaalista rentoutumista ja puhtautta.  Koko kroppa tuntuu saunan jalkeen syvapuhdistetulta.  Aah!

In my childhood home we would warm up the sauna nearly every evening.  I think it's fantastic that most homes in Finland have a sauna.  For me sauna means lovely warmth, total relaxation and cleanliness.  After sauna my whole body feels like it's been deep-cleansed.

4.  Joulu/Christmas

Mulle ainoa oikea tapa viettaa joulua on Suomessa.  Vaikka nautin ruotsalaisesta joulustakin tosi paljon, niin ei se ihan veda vertoja oman, suomalaisen perheeni joulun viettoon.  Meidan jouluateriamme on niin mahtava laatikkoineen paivineen, etta tatakin kirjoittaessa tulee heti vesi kielelle.

The only right way to celebrate Christmas for me is in Finland.  Although I really enjoy Christmas with family in Sweden, too, I still miss my family's Finnish Christmas celebration.  Our Christmas meal is so yummy!!!

5.  Toolo

Vanhat kotikulmat, isan ja aidin koti, torikahvilat, Mamma Rosa... Toolossa on hyva henki ja siella on paljon ihania, tuttuja ihmisia.

Toolo is an area in downtown Helsinki.  It's my old home neighbourhood, my parents' home, it has lovely market place cafes and one of my favourite restaurants Mamma Rosa.  The spirit of the area is wonderful and we have a lot of friends there.

6.  Finland is hi-tech/ Teknologia Suomessa

Kaikki Suomessa toimii niin hyvin.  Tekniikkaa kehitetaan koko ajan ja on hienoa kun vaikka ratikkalipun voi maksaa kannykalla.

Everything in Finland works so well.  We are very high-tech and are continuously developing our systems.  I think it's great that one can i.e. pay a trolley/train ticket via mobile phone.

7.  Stockmann

Stocka on musta kiva tavaratalo ja ma haluan aina Suomessa olessa kierrella siella ainakin kerran.  Nuorena treffit sovittiin aina (Stockan) kellon alle.  Aidin kanssa kahviteltiin aina Stockan kahvilassa herkkuleivosten kera.

The Stockmann department store in Helsinki is great.  Whenever I visit Finland I want to stop by there at least once.  When I was a teenager my friends and I would always meet under the big clock in front of the Stockmann main entrance.  Also, my mom and I have always been keen visitors of the Stockmann cafe where we would have coffee and some yummy pastries.

8.  Karkit/Sweets

Suomessa on maailman parhaat karkit!  Suklaata, salmiakkia, lakuja, ja mahtavia sekoituspusseja.  Ihan parasta ovat irtokarkit: mun pussissa on aina paljon salmiakkia ja lakua, sopivasti suklaata ja ripaus hedelmakarkkeja.

Finland has the best sweets in the world!  Chocolate, liquorice, amazing sweets bags with a mix of all kinds yummy tastes.  The best is when you go and pick your own sweets into a bag: my bag is always full of liquorice, has some chocolate and a bit of fruit candy in it, too.

9.  Karjalanpiirakat/Karelian pasties

Ma rakastan karjalanpiirakoita ja mun perheenjasenet saavatkin kantaa niita tanne aina tullessaan.  En ole koskaan tehnyt niita itse, pitaisi kylla yrittaa.  Karjalanpiirakat ovat myos loistavia evaita kouluun, joten nappaan niita aina pakkasesta poikien evaslaukkuihin.

I love the traditional Finnish Karelian pasties.  My family members get to bring me some whenever they come over here.  I've never made them myself but should try someday.  The Karelian pasties are also excellent to pack in the boys' school lunch boxes.

10.  Vappu/Labour or May Day

Vappu on ihanan iloinen ja riehakas juhla ja koska vappuna on aina niin kevainen fiilis (satoi tai paistoi) se on jotenkin aivan mahtava tapahtuma.  Pienena odotin aina vappuilmapalloa, teinina Espalla hengailemista ja nyttemmin olisi vaan kiva olla mukana kaikilla vappupiknikeilla sun muilla.

The Labour Day celebration in the beginning of May is a fun and wild party day and I miss it because on that day it feels so much like spring after a long, tough winter.  When I was a child the best part was the balloon my parents would buy me and as a teenager I couldn't wait to hang out on "Espa" (the Esplanade street in downtown Helsinki).  Nowadays I would just love to be a part of the fun picnics etc. taking place during Labour Day.

Ihanaa kun kesalomalla paasee Suomeen, joten kovin pitkaan ei tarvitse enaa odottaa.  Ihana Suomi!

I'm so happy that I get to travel to Finland soon as we will be going there during our summer holiday.  I really love my country!

Other Finns abroad, want to do your own lists?  :-)