Finland has different cultural norms than the United States. I knew about the big ones before we moved - Finns are quiet amongst strangers, keep their space, smile less, drink lots and lots of coffee... Thats not what this list is about. This is about the little things that slowly popped up. Not big enough for people to widely discuss, but also completely different new for me! Finnish Dog Culture I always kind of assumed Finns would be cat people. They fit the stereotypes well enough - solitary, slow to warm up to new people. But no, dogs are everywhere. And I don’t mean people have many dogs - they are literally everywhere. In the mall, in the metro, on a tram. There are dog parking spots outside of grocery stores, one of the few strict dog free zones. There are little hooks to tie a leash to. And if there aren’t dog parking tie ups (inside a mall for example) people create them. And the coats! Dogs here have as many clothing options as the children! Especially the small dogs. R...
Expat adventures and commentary of an American in Finland