May 19, 2009 at 01:20Finland
We continue the theme of life on the other side of the border with a short story about Finland (have not yet gotten ahead :)). I have been living in Finland for seven years, have completed university and postgraduate studies, have a fairly complete understanding of everyday life and a slightly less complete idea (mainly through the experience of friends) about career opportunities.
We will probably start first - how to move (why move - decide for yourself, after you read to the end). In principle, there is nothing unexpected: this can be done (a) from the roots; (b) for family reasons (marriage); (c) to study; (d) to work. I think that few people here have Finnish roots or plans to immediately get married / get married, so we will go straight to points (c) and (d). However, there are plenty of people traveling on the first two points, but usually they are people from neighboring regions - Karelia and the Leningrad Region, and they themselves know how it works. Everything is relatively clear with work: it is not very easy to find it, but if you have desires and skills, it’s quite possible to get an interview. Next, a tourist visa is issued (this is easy), and if you are hired, the company, as a rule, will issue a working visa without any problems. Moreover, you can persuade you to make a class “A” visa, which is the first step to obtaining a residence permit. Employer number 1 in the field of IT, of course, Nokia. But in general, the country has a very good reputation in all kinds of innovations, and there is a lot of work. True, I have to make a reservation: there are also many applicants (unemployment is high), and the crisis is affecting.
The learning situation is a bit more ornate. Generally speaking, Finland has free higher education for everyone - even for foreigners. That is, you can formally apply to a Finnish university, go through the competition and study quietly. The trick is that the exam and training is carried out in Finnish, and not everyone can pass this "firewall". There are training programs in English - ads are published on the Internet. Perhaps this is the easiest way for those who still want to study, and not work. In the learning process, one can hope to receive a scholarship, but this has not been the case in recent years. If you need money, it’s better to earn extra money (this is officially allowed, the main thing is to find a job). Naturally, during the training you can immerse yourself in local life and understand how everything is arranged here :) Student, however,
The standard of living within the country is fairly uniform. Cities are similar to each other, and I would not say that the feelings of being at one point in the country are very different from the feelings at another. At the same time, the capital region, of course, stands out - but not so much in terms of living standards, but in terms of the number and ranking of employers. That is, roughly speaking, on average work you will receive a little more and spend a little more. However, in Helsinki, you can, in principle, find a job that will not be in the province.
About salaries. There are no golden mountains here - 2500 Euro / month - a good salary, 3500 - frankly, a good one. Although, as far as I know, the capital can offer abrupt conditions, if you're lucky. Expenses - I admit, I have not counted for a long time, but as a student, it fit into 250 euros per month for food. But this, of course, is the minimum, for a comfortable life you will need more :) Renting an apartment - in the region of 500 e / month for 1-2 rooms in a good place. Students usually rent a room - then you can meet 150-200 euros on the outskirts. In Helsinki, the center of the road, closer to the suburbs, apartments are getting cheaper. However, many people immediately take a mortgage, as it seems possible - the conditions are favorable, you can pay the same money every month for a mortgage, and not to the lessor. Taxes are quite high, as elsewhere in Europe - 30%, or even 40%, are real numbers. However, knowledgeable people talked about different optimization schemes. Quite a lot of expenses can be excluded from the tax base.
In general, very many people speak English, especially young people. Moreover, this does not so much depend on the general level of education: an English-speaking bus driver or cashier is not uncommon. I myself lived for a long time without any knowledge of the language quite successfully. In most cases, IT-related work does not require knowledge of Finnish. However, the possession of the local dialect is always useful - it expands the possibilities.
Contrary to stereotypes, the climate here is not very cold - the Gulf Stream affects, especially in the west. Helsinki has quite a bit of snow, in winter the temperature rarely drops below -10. In the north and east, of course, cooler. Also, contrary to stereotypes, I would not call Finns closed and uncommunicative. However, tolerance for silence is present in their nature - smalltalk is optional. Two people can sit quietly next to each other for hours on the plane and not speak for the entire flight - this is normal. But talking is not forbidden :) Peace, solitude, a good sauna, beautiful nature are appreciated - preferably a lake and a forest (there is plenty of this good in Finland).
The attitude towards foreigners is calm. There are many foreigners here. There are also many Russians, moreover, those who came from the roots or through marriage and those who came to work clearly stand out. Finding the right company for communication is easy. I myself do not communicate with Finns very often, but with pleasure - you can also find nice and sensible people among the locals. Of course, certain cultural differences exist, but this rarely gets in the way. However, Russia is a large neighboring state, and we have special relations with Finland, with which, of course, both the pros and cons of a joint history are connected.
A big plus, I would call the geographical proximity to Russia - if you want, you can go to our side at least every weekend. Trains, buses run regularly. Usually people go on holidays or for shopping (they go to buy something that is not in Finland - and at the same time they go from Russia to Finka to buy something that is not there). I would say that for those who live in Russia close to the border, Finland is generally not quite abroad. Petersburgers will not let you lie: renting a cottage in Finland for a few days and going on a weekend is quite normal.
The social formation as a whole is built on the principle of "Scandinavian socialism" - all kinds of social programs are wide. Hence, high taxes, but also the very even standard of living, low stratification. So, it’s hard for me to name the “good” and “bad” areas in our city - they are all good enough (alas, another form of migration has recently spread - refugees from the most distant corners of the world - and these people, of course, in terms of development to others not reach; perhaps, where they settle, maybe a little less comfortable, but I did not have such experience). I can also say that the social ladder is conditional: the attitude to the cleaner or locksmith will be no less respectful than to the head of the department. In this respect, definitely not Japan.
Virtually no homeless people, very low street crime. Even in the woods lanterns burn, all the streets are neatly cleaned of snow and sweeping (it’s important for a cyclist, but there are a lot of cyclists). In general, cities make a very neat impression (although the architecture is usually simple and straightforward - it would only be convenient; at times this causes some boredom, however). Quite a lot of educational opportunities (including free or almost free).
That's probably all for now. With pleasure I will answer reasonable questions :)
Relocation
We will probably start first - how to move (why move - decide for yourself, after you read to the end). In principle, there is nothing unexpected: this can be done (a) from the roots; (b) for family reasons (marriage); (c) to study; (d) to work. I think that few people here have Finnish roots or plans to immediately get married / get married, so we will go straight to points (c) and (d). However, there are plenty of people traveling on the first two points, but usually they are people from neighboring regions - Karelia and the Leningrad Region, and they themselves know how it works. Everything is relatively clear with work: it is not very easy to find it, but if you have desires and skills, it’s quite possible to get an interview. Next, a tourist visa is issued (this is easy), and if you are hired, the company, as a rule, will issue a working visa without any problems. Moreover, you can persuade you to make a class “A” visa, which is the first step to obtaining a residence permit. Employer number 1 in the field of IT, of course, Nokia. But in general, the country has a very good reputation in all kinds of innovations, and there is a lot of work. True, I have to make a reservation: there are also many applicants (unemployment is high), and the crisis is affecting.
The learning situation is a bit more ornate. Generally speaking, Finland has free higher education for everyone - even for foreigners. That is, you can formally apply to a Finnish university, go through the competition and study quietly. The trick is that the exam and training is carried out in Finnish, and not everyone can pass this "firewall". There are training programs in English - ads are published on the Internet. Perhaps this is the easiest way for those who still want to study, and not work. In the learning process, one can hope to receive a scholarship, but this has not been the case in recent years. If you need money, it’s better to earn extra money (this is officially allowed, the main thing is to find a job). Naturally, during the training you can immerse yourself in local life and understand how everything is arranged here :) Student, however,
Cash Matters
The standard of living within the country is fairly uniform. Cities are similar to each other, and I would not say that the feelings of being at one point in the country are very different from the feelings at another. At the same time, the capital region, of course, stands out - but not so much in terms of living standards, but in terms of the number and ranking of employers. That is, roughly speaking, on average work you will receive a little more and spend a little more. However, in Helsinki, you can, in principle, find a job that will not be in the province.
About salaries. There are no golden mountains here - 2500 Euro / month - a good salary, 3500 - frankly, a good one. Although, as far as I know, the capital can offer abrupt conditions, if you're lucky. Expenses - I admit, I have not counted for a long time, but as a student, it fit into 250 euros per month for food. But this, of course, is the minimum, for a comfortable life you will need more :) Renting an apartment - in the region of 500 e / month for 1-2 rooms in a good place. Students usually rent a room - then you can meet 150-200 euros on the outskirts. In Helsinki, the center of the road, closer to the suburbs, apartments are getting cheaper. However, many people immediately take a mortgage, as it seems possible - the conditions are favorable, you can pay the same money every month for a mortgage, and not to the lessor. Taxes are quite high, as elsewhere in Europe - 30%, or even 40%, are real numbers. However, knowledgeable people talked about different optimization schemes. Quite a lot of expenses can be excluded from the tax base.
Everyday life
In general, very many people speak English, especially young people. Moreover, this does not so much depend on the general level of education: an English-speaking bus driver or cashier is not uncommon. I myself lived for a long time without any knowledge of the language quite successfully. In most cases, IT-related work does not require knowledge of Finnish. However, the possession of the local dialect is always useful - it expands the possibilities.
Contrary to stereotypes, the climate here is not very cold - the Gulf Stream affects, especially in the west. Helsinki has quite a bit of snow, in winter the temperature rarely drops below -10. In the north and east, of course, cooler. Also, contrary to stereotypes, I would not call Finns closed and uncommunicative. However, tolerance for silence is present in their nature - smalltalk is optional. Two people can sit quietly next to each other for hours on the plane and not speak for the entire flight - this is normal. But talking is not forbidden :) Peace, solitude, a good sauna, beautiful nature are appreciated - preferably a lake and a forest (there is plenty of this good in Finland).
The attitude towards foreigners is calm. There are many foreigners here. There are also many Russians, moreover, those who came from the roots or through marriage and those who came to work clearly stand out. Finding the right company for communication is easy. I myself do not communicate with Finns very often, but with pleasure - you can also find nice and sensible people among the locals. Of course, certain cultural differences exist, but this rarely gets in the way. However, Russia is a large neighboring state, and we have special relations with Finland, with which, of course, both the pros and cons of a joint history are connected.
A big plus, I would call the geographical proximity to Russia - if you want, you can go to our side at least every weekend. Trains, buses run regularly. Usually people go on holidays or for shopping (they go to buy something that is not in Finland - and at the same time they go from Russia to Finka to buy something that is not there). I would say that for those who live in Russia close to the border, Finland is generally not quite abroad. Petersburgers will not let you lie: renting a cottage in Finland for a few days and going on a weekend is quite normal.
The social formation as a whole is built on the principle of "Scandinavian socialism" - all kinds of social programs are wide. Hence, high taxes, but also the very even standard of living, low stratification. So, it’s hard for me to name the “good” and “bad” areas in our city - they are all good enough (alas, another form of migration has recently spread - refugees from the most distant corners of the world - and these people, of course, in terms of development to others not reach; perhaps, where they settle, maybe a little less comfortable, but I did not have such experience). I can also say that the social ladder is conditional: the attitude to the cleaner or locksmith will be no less respectful than to the head of the department. In this respect, definitely not Japan.
Virtually no homeless people, very low street crime. Even in the woods lanterns burn, all the streets are neatly cleaned of snow and sweeping (it’s important for a cyclist, but there are a lot of cyclists). In general, cities make a very neat impression (although the architecture is usually simple and straightforward - it would only be convenient; at times this causes some boredom, however). Quite a lot of educational opportunities (including free or almost free).
That's probably all for now. With pleasure I will answer reasonable questions :)