What I Miss about Finland

Tuomo writes: Now that I'm back to Canada, it is time to reflect on things that I'll miss about Helsinki and Finland:

* Rye bread
* Beverages such as Jaffa, Lonkero, siideri, sima
* Fazer Blue chocolate
* Ice cream and other dairy products - loaded with Points...
* Mämmi (for better or worse)
* Learning new idioms and expressions in my native tongue such as mokkula “blackberry” or tuunata “to fix; to upgrade; to pimp”
* Cool bars and clubs such as Hercules or Baker’s Champagne Happy Hour: a flute of champagne for one euro = 1.56 CAD/USD! (Limit 4/person/round – guess how many flutes I had!)
* Fabulous shopping at Stockmann, Akateeminen kirjakauppa, Kiseljeff Centre, etc.
* Fabulous – yet expensive – design wear, e.g. Marimekko, Aarikka, Iittala, etc.
* Fabulous cafes and other places to sit down and chitchat over a cup of coffee: Café Engel, Café Fazer, Strindberg, Ekberg, and Esplanade just to name a few
* Cool free papers such as City, Papper, Sixth Degree, and Voima
* A functional, no-fuss public transportation system - except for the electronic tickets
* Ridiculously easy access to outdoorsy activities
* Men who jog or bike in spandex gear in public ;-)
* Prices with taxes and service included
* Consequently, being able to figure out the exact change in advance or splitting bills without a hassle
* Water that allows soap to lather and rinse off without a lot of scrubbing
* Long days e.g. May 1st sunrise: 5:18AM; sunset: 9:18 PM – and it only gets better for another month or so!
* Fabulous conversations with my friends on topics ranging from ancient datives and translation theory to and gossiping on human relations over an omenasiideri (or two)
* My folks – whether I admit it or not...