Days of idleness aren't something this British expat living in Finland have too many of; indeed, her days are filled with activities such as learning the language, finding a job, and getting to know the locals. Despite the similarities between English and Finnish culture, she encounters challenges that make the experience a richer one.	New kid in town

-Where were you born?

North of England

-In which country and city are you living now?

Helsinki, Finland

-Are you living alone or with your family?

With my Finnish boyfriend; we're not married.

-How long have you been living in Finland?

8 months

-What is your age?

32

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Finland?

I moved here to be with my boyfriend after nearly two years of a long distance relationship. I wanted to change careers anyway and had always wanted to live abroad; plus I like learning languages.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a work permit?

Yes. I looked for work before moving out here, but getting interviews in another country is tough. Companies also aren't reassured that you'll settle and stay in the job. So after being rejected for a post doing practically the same job I did in the UK, and a lot of soul searching, I decided to move across and try and get interviews from within Finland. As we're not married, I'm not at a Finnish university or employed in Finland, I basically class as a tourist. Being EU, I'm allowed to stay and job hunt for 3 months at a time but I have to leave the country every 3 months. This has been a considerable unexpected expense! I'm free to seek work but I'm not in the system so I'm not entitled to any help from the job centre.

The information on getting residency is arcane. We queued 3 hours at the immigration police to register my right of residence; they basically, in the nicest possible way, told me to go away and come back when I have a job. They were very reluctant to consider my savings as sufficient for support.  

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

As a tourist, so far I'm relying on my UK national insurance but I can only see a doctor here if it's an emergency. If you want to take out student health policies, you usually have to do so before you set off.

-How do you make your living in Finland? Do you have any type of income generated?

Currently I'm studying part time online through a uni back home. I expected to be able to pick up some kind of temp job for the rest of the time but that has proved much harder than I anticipated. Basically I have no income; I have had one job interview in 8 months. I am dependent on my partner and the situation could continue for a long time.  

I'm signed up with a lot of agencies and I actively job seek every week but the language barrier is a big obstacle. English is not as valuable a skill as people back home imagine - a very high proportion of the population already speak English, and as they speak Finnish fluently too, you are pretty much outcompeted in the job market. The population are highly qualified, resulting in very high demands on applicants. For example, I've seen one ad for childcare which required an education degree. Many ads for cleaners require not only Finnish and English, but also a car. Teaching English requires prior experience and qualifications. Another major obstacle is that I'm seeking part-time work. Part time jobs are much rarer here than in the UK.

-Do you speak Finnish and do you think it's important to speak the local language?

Finnish is vital. I take Finnish classes and began learning independently before I moved here, but progress is slow and despite having a talent for languages I still can't express myself. Most people speak English here to some degree, at least here in the capital, but they are often not confident to do so. I feel slightly embarrassed that they have to speak English just because I'm there. Exposure is not as easy to get as you might assume - below a certain threshold, you simply can't understand what they are saying on TV or radio so there's little benefit. It's a vicious cycle - you can't communicate, so you can't interact, so you can't learn... 

If you're in the system (married to a Finn, student at Finnish uni or employed here) the state will pay for your classes; I have to pay for my own but they are fairly reasonably priced. I took a class at Kalliolan Kansalaisopisto which was very good but ran for a very short term and I get practically no exposure while I wait for the next one. It's a beautiful language but have realistic expectations of how long it will take you to learn it.    

-Do you miss home and family sometimes? Describe your favorite recreational activities there or those that are available.

Now that I have to leave the country every few months I actually see my family more than I did when I lived in the UK!

I'm a fan of ice hockey and Finland is a hockey country, though at the moment I can't afford to watch or play. Open air skating is available in Winter, which is great. Heavy metal is far less of a minority interest in Finland than in the UK; it's quite normal to see guys walking the streets with long hair and heavy metal clothes. I even saw a guy in corpsepaint at the metro station once.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

I don't have any plans at the moment beyond getting through the current situation. I'm hoping I can stay in Finland at least for a few years - that is, I need to find work before my savings run out.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

We rent a one bed flat on the East side. It costs roughly what I paid for a studio flat in SE England but I believe it's subsidised housing for young people.

-What is the cost of living in Finland?

I'd say a little higher than the UK; alcohol in particular is stunningly expensive. The metro is 2 euros for a ticket which lasts about an hour. There's slightly less variety of food available, I'd say, too. Energy bills are lower though I think.

-What do you think about the Finns? 

I find Finns generally shy - that is until they are very drunk! I've mainly met friends of my boyfriend and I have found them extraordinarily welcoming, but that may be because of the personal connection to him. Drinking is heavy here, and while Brits do drink a lot, Finns seem to drink more darkly, almost destructively. Finns seem to be much like the British; I haven't noticed any great cultural gaps except one: where a Brit would say "Excuse me" if they need to get into your personal space, a Finn says nothing. It's not meant to be rude, it's just normal here but I used to fly off the handle when I first arrived as I thought it was extremely disrespectful! Finns I think have a greater appreciation of what's important in life than Brits do, which is very pleasant.

There does seem to be a very strong suspicion of foreigners here, particularly of Africans and of gypsies, whether they be Finnish or otherwise. I think homophobia is pretty common too. I couldn't say if either is worse than in the UK but it certainly seems more acceptable to voice those kind of opinions here than at home.    

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Finland?

Helsinki is a beautiful city but not a big one. If you're used to London, you might find Helsinki small. If you like winter sports and metal then this might be the place for you, though perhaps more international bands visit London than Helsinki. Attitudes to work attire seem to be quite relaxed here and failure to conform to corporate image seems to be less of an obstacle to working. British comedy and music are very much appreciated here so Finns are not as culturally far from Brits as you might expect.

The Finnish day starts very early, probably due to the sunlight shortage in Winter (which is not really as bad in the South as they make out). Lunch is often at 11am. That's way too early for my body clock! Concerts start very very late and it's impossible to see a band during the week and function at work the next day. Disciplining kids is very unfashionable here, which can be irritating.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Finland?

You must learn Finnish, and if you don't have a job here already you must have solid savings behind you. Don't expect sympathy from immigration - the brochures make it sound like Finland is keen to take in foreigners, but who is allowed to stay is basically a question of law.  

If you come from a mild country you really do need to learn how to take the weather seriously. Layer dressing is very important in Winter and falling on the ice and snow is a real probability.