3 / 2000
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Finns like someone else
to take the first step
"The Finns do not usually start a conversation," says Edith Barrera, a Mexican exchange student in Turku. "If the foreigner is more talkative than the Finn, why not take the first step?"
"The Finns will not tell you to mind your own business or show you the door," Edith continues.
Many of her friends have complained that it is difficult to have a conversation with a Finn, but Edith thinks the Finns are not the only ones at fault.
"If you have the opportunity to go abroad as an exchange student, it’s definitely worth taking it. It’s not important where you go, you just need to be open-minded and flexible. When you are abroad, you are more on your own, and this will make you stronger and more independent."
Edith Barrera lives in Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. She studies at the Universidad de las Américas, and has majored in International Relations. She intends to continue her studies and specialise in the European Union. In Turku, she is studying for the Certificate of European Diplomatic Studies in the Jean Monnet unit of the Faculty of Social Sciences.
Colours of the sky
"In Mexico, I never realised that the sky could have so many different shades of blue. The moon never seemed as clear as it is in Finland," Edith marvels. For her, the Baltic Sea is like a lake, because she compares it to the ocean. It took her a while to get used to sauna, but now she enjoys it.
Before she came to Finland, the only thing Edith knew about the country was how to find it on a map. Her friends advised her to take warm clothes with her. Edith also heard about the days without sunlight, and she wondered if the sun ever rose.
"It was not so dark after all," she claims. She admits she would like to have more sunlight, but she does not find the darkness depressing. "Why are the Finns complaining about the darkness all the time? Haven’t they got used to it, even though they have lived here all their lives?" she wonders.
Edith could also have chosen Hungary, but because of her studies, she decided to come to Finland instead.
Edith wishes that the Finns, especially the teachers, would express their own opinions during the lectures. There is little debate in the lectures in Finland. In Edith’s home country, the influence of the United States is considerable. Mexicans always look at the world as the neighbours of the Americans. Edith compares her people’s situation to that of the Finns, who live next to the Russians. She is particularly interested in Finland’s neutral foreign policy and marvels at how a western country like Finland can still have close relations to the former Soviet Union.
"It is good to see the world from a different point of view. In addition to Finland, I am also interested in the Baltic countries, because their problems are similar to those of the Latin American countries," says
Edith."I hope that Finland and Mexico will cooperate more fully in the future. We could learn from each other’s experiences," suggests Edith. She expects the Finns to become more open to change and emphasises that "tolerance and freedom are keywords for mankind".
Privacy and family
Edith Barrera knew nothing about the Finnish culture when she arrived in Finland. "In Finland, people are more self-contained and respect each other’s privacy. However, this is also a paradox. Finns do not come to you and ask if they can help, because Finns prefer to mind their own business. Mexicans always ask if they can be of help," says Edith, pointing out a clear difference between the two countries.
"Getting to know other exchange students has been easy, but if your friend is a Finn, both must pull their weight in the relationship. The effort is rewarded, though, for in this way you get more real friends. In Mexico, finding friends is relatively easy, because people are talkative and want to have many friends. We Mexicans do not want to make life more complicated. It is already complicated enough," says Edith.
"I miss my family and my city most. Leaving Mexico was difficult, because the ties within my family are very close. But when I return to my country, I will miss Finland, especially the respect for people’s privacy, the chance to meet more foreigners, the snow, and the wonderful landscapes."
Text & photos: Hanna Peltonen
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