Driving in the snow?

You definitely need some snow-how to drive in Finland when it snows!

Here are some tools that can make your life a bit easier.

1) A car inner heater. Finnish cars are usually equipped with engine heater and a conventional electrical plug next to the copilot seat. That's meant to use only for this kind of device. If you're lucky enough to have an own parking spot with an electric outlet, your mornings will be easier!

2) A brush. Most of them have something on the other side to scratch your windows out of ice. And please, be good and clean all the windows! Visibility is crucial, don't think that brushing and scratching the windshield is enough, you need mirrors also in winter!


3) A shovel. Am I exaggerating? No I am not! If you're gonna leave the car in the street, even if it's for couple of hours you may well need it.

And now some practical advice if your car gets stuck in the snow (other than shovel a bit).

1. Keep the wheels straight.
2. Try to start with 2nd gear rather than 1st. You get a bit more torque an avoid revving the engine.
3. Go a bit back, then a bit forth, then a bit back, and then forth again.
4. If none of this works, use the carpets under the driving wheels.

If the conditions are bad, control your speed, keep extra safety distance, don't do sudden turns, don't do sudden speed changes, be extra careful with other cars, remember that the cars will skid sideways a bit without much control, and don't try to play to be a rally driver.

And if you feel you're not in control, you probably shouldn't be driving!

Boys and their toys (GAS)

According to the Oxford dictionary, a hobby is an activity done regularly in one’s leisure time for pleasure. I would very much like to question that.


Most people do take on hobbies, but not regularly. "Build your very own radio controlled Spitfire! With the first number, the wheels! Every Sunday in your paper shop!". I'm quite sure that 98% of the people who start it don't even get to the wings. Instead they have the antena of a U-boat, and the steering wheel of a classic Ford T. All of them 1:20. None of them will ever be built.


Then there's the pleasure issue. Ask some of those DIY-ers how pleasurable is to hear "oh, very creative bucket you've made" after weekends of hammering their own fingers trying to build a stool.


Most hobbies though cause G.A.S., especially among men. That is Gear Acquisition Syndrome. We spend more time and energy thinking and planning what else do we need (even though we do not need it) and then buying it than actually practising the hobby!


There are some which are especially dangerous. Photography for instance, getting into the DSLR world. You can always upgrade the camera body, or get a new lens, or a flash, or... the list of gadgets is immense. For me it isn't so bad yet... I have one camera body, three lenses, a grip for the camera and two tripods (which were gifts!).

People not musically trained but who take on some musical instrument are also dangerous. I've heard once "guitars? you just need one more. No matter how many you have". Then you go to amplifiers, pedals, software, ... the result is more time is spent reading about "the musical properties of the combination of alder and rosewood" than actually learning to play! Other than playing badly, this is the consequence:

Those two I know, because I suffer them. And it gets worse because I like to keep things in their proper place. More precisely three camera bags. I try to justify them saying that they have different purposes and sizes. Two are backpacks: the light one, and the big one (which can host a laptop); the third one is a shoulder bag. The guitars need also their own cases (two) and bags (two), plus two stands (an individual one and one that keeps 5 guitars) to keep them handy.

I'm told that there are other terrible hobbies: golf, aeromodelling, video recording and production, hi-fi systems and I have witnessed acute cases of knitting as well!

How about then redefining hobby: an activity done seldom, for which gear is investigated and bought regularly in one's leisure time, for no discernible reason.


Not sure if writing is a hobby, but I shall now stop and go and take few pictures and play some guitar before the next G.A.S. attack hits me!






PS: a hobby that I can recommend since other people enjoy it is cooking! It's fun and others get to enjoy it!

Your balcony is not a fridge (not anymore)

Finland gets cold in winter, that's a fact. And there are many things to do below -15 C!

Using your balcony as a fridge isn't one of them though. The reason is that it becomes a freezer. And then there are things we don't put in the freezer, right? Why did I have the occurrence of putting the beer mäyräkoira in the balcony...

Anyone care for a beer?

The good side is that it was easy to clean of course. All the foamed beer was nothing but ice! It didn't even leave a stain (update: it actually did leave a stain). I could tell that Mr. Bear Beer (karhu is Finnish for bear) himself wasn't happy though. He just looks like having a nasty hangover!

Mr. Karhu-Bear himself being sick

Learnings of the day then? First: mäyräkoira, which means Dachshund (or sausage dog) is also a beer 12 pack. Second: don't leave your mäyräkoira in your balcony in the winter. Third: Dachshund is the English word for 'sausage dog'!