LAFA Experiences: SAUNA!

Sauna is a huge part of Finnish culture!
I do not know many Finns that don't use sauna at all or dislike it completely - it's extremely rare at least!

The only experience I had with a sauna (prior to moving to Finland) was at the local swimming hall back in Nova Scotia - where you do keep your bathing suit on - it was open for anyone to use - and you were prohibited from splashing water onto the rocks!
Which every time I tell a Finn this - they laugh uncontrollably.

My first Finnish sauna experience dates back to 2009 after having my first son and I was very shy because I don't think I had a bathing suit that would fit and who in the world goes into a room to sweat while being naked with people you barely know?!

Apparently I do - along with millions of Finns and non-Finns alike - you learn to adapt.

So here are the bare basics about going to sauna with your friends in Finland:

1. You go totally naked - bring a sauna towel (size of a hand towel typically) to sit on and that's it.  
1. If it's the case of a mixed genders and open public sauna - then yes, you wear a bathing suit if it says so.
1. For example I have been to the public Smoke sauna at Kuusijärvi and we had to wear bathing suits. 
2. I have never once been made fun of or gawked at because of my figure or shape.
   While nudity is considered borderline shameful in other countries - in a sauna - it puts you all on even ground and frankly, nobody gives a crap what you look like - as long as you are clean, enjoy yourself and relax.
3. Plus a lot of Finns wear glasses or contacts - so most likely, they can't see much of you at all!  😂
2. Shower before entering the sauna - usually you'll rinse yourself before going into the sauna and have a cool down or a quick rinse in between your sauna session.  You should shower properly after sauna as well.
1. So bring your shampoo or body wash and lotion if needed!
3. Bring something cold to drink with you.  I always have a water bottle but of course - a proper Finnish sauna includes booze of some kind to cool you down!
1. It is easy to get dehydrated in the sauna - so definitely bring a drink with you!
4. If you've been invited to someone's home and they tell you there will be sauna - be sure to bring your own towel, shower stuff and change of clothes or underwear at least!
5. Swimming halls, spas and hotels in Finland typically have saunas as well.  There can be a variety - even a private sauna in the hotel room if available!
6. There are a variety of different kinds of sauna:
1. Electric sauna is the most common - especially in apartment building complexes.
2. Wood sauna is very common in stand alone houses and at cottages as well.
3. Smoke sauna is not so common but a very different and cleansing experience!
7. Almost all apartment buildings in Finland have a sauna.
1. Either you have one in your own flat - lucky you!
   
   or
2.  You have one in your building and you can either go during the open community times - usually gender-based, for example: Women from 9-10 and Men from 11-12 - or you might have your own private time slot every week.

• Your rent will have an additional sauna fee should you wish to register for your own sauna time slot.
8. To make the sauna hotter:  you can turn up the stove on an electric type of sauna or splash water on the stones.   
9. If you have asthma like I do - it's also wise to bring your asthma meds with you just in case.
1. I also recommend sitting on a lower level or not as close to the sauna stove to reduce your chances of an asthma attack.
1. I find wood and smoke saunas easier to breathe in compared to electric ones - it also depends how much water you splash on the stones.
10. Yes ladies you can sauna while on your period - just use a menstrual cup or tampon and sit on a sauna towel accordingly.
11. When you leave the sauna - you should rinse the benches by splashing water on them and splashing water on the stove (don't forget to shut it off).
12. Remove your contacts or eye glasses before going into sauna - the contacts could cause irritation and you won't be able to see with glasses on anyway.
13. Don't bring your phone into the sauna - it's just common sense.  Leave it out in the shower or change room area.

Photo by "Pori Guy" aka PG.

The history of sauna goes wayyyy back - women used to give birth in a sauna, especially those living in the countryside without close access to a hospital because it was the most cleanest place to give birth!

It was my birthday - and I was at Havumäki Ranch & figured why not?
Photo by M.

Other fun things to know about the sauna:

1. It is totally normal to go outside (usually with a towel on) to cool down from a sauna.  
1. Yes, even in winter and in the snow!
2. It is also totally normal to roll in snow then rush back into the sauna or take it up a notch - if available of course - and swim in a lake in the winter time.
3. It is also socially acceptable to sauna daily after a long day at work.
4. Many Finns sauna all year long - including the summer months - with or without a lake to jump in.
5. Do not wear pure gold jewelry into the sauna - it'll melt and leave you with nasty burn marks.
1. Yes that's coming from experience... not sure what other jewelry could melt but at least - pure gold stuff is not recommended.
6. It sounds crazy but it is also perfectly normal to be beaten with a bundle of birch branches to increase the blood circulation in your body and to have the "ULTIMATE FINNISH SAUNA EXPERIENCE!"  
1. aka a "vihta" - if not made by hand from your Finnish host - you can buy them frozen in the grocery store.
2. I was advised it's best to dip in the bucket of water, toast them above the stove and then smack yourself silly with them.
7. It is pronounced "sou (like "sour") - na" - not like the way you've grown up hearing it as "saw-na".
8. A lot of people use their sauna as storage...yeah I wouldn't but some people just don't use their sauna much!
9. Children generally go into sauna as young as 1-year old, usually sitting in a tub of water at the bottom.
10. In case you're wondering - do people have sex in the sauna? - some do and some won't.  Mostly so people don't pass out from the extreme heat.
11. When I was close to giving birth - all my Finnish friends recommended the "3-S's: Sex, Siivous (cleaning) & Sauna" to encourage getting labour going.
12. Finns love sauna so much that there was a collection of postage stamps dedicated to the sauna culture back in 2009!

And there you have it - a crash course in sauna.

Photo by PG.

LAFA

LAFA Experiences: The Turku Police Station

Okay - so I guess the title is slightly misleading but it's still sort of true.

No - I did not get arrested.

Back in October - specifically the first of - I lost my keys.  This REALLY sucked because cutting keys is expensive - the cheapest place in Jyväskylä was 30€ for a key and it's not an identical one because of the brand name.

Thing is - if you lose your keys - you better hope to God you can find them - depending on your rental agreement plan.  My friend's rental agreement states that if he loses a key - of which he has 2 or 3 copies - he must pay nearly 400€ (some crazy amount of money anyway) to get new keys made along with the installation of a new lock.  Yeah - this stuff is crazy expensive!

If you lock yourself out - your building maintenance company will charge you - minimum 10€ to let you back inside and if it's late at night - even more.
Every building has different rules - so check your rental agreement!

ANYWAY - lost my keys on my way to work October first.  I was super upset because I also had my keys to my storage unit upstairs (of which I only had one copy), I had a key for my ex's home in JKL, I had a couple key chains of sentimental value and I was stuck outside my door with 4 bags of groceries...a lot of it needing to go into the fridge or freezer!

I was able to get back in since my friend carries a spare and was leaving work soon anyway - so I got lucky.
I re-traced my steps multiple times and no luck.  I checked the Föli bus station, the local shops nearby, my landlord's office, turned my flat inside out...even my work place - nope.

Then I heard I should go to the Turku Police station - where you can only pick up lost & found items between 9am -12pm.  This was the tricky part because I work during those hours...but I managed to arrange my schedule to go down two days later and no luck.

Once you enter the police station - you must leave your belongings into a tray and it needs to be scanned before you are allowed inside.

Inside there is a glass tower case full of keys and each month they are received - they are collected together on a shelf.  Every 3 months they empty out the oldest month's worth of keys.

I checked a total of 3x over the last three months and no luck. 
I had called and e-mailed them and they said they would let me know (back in October) that if they saw my keys - which were pretty distinct - they would call me - but never did.

Anyhow - not a huge deal because my ex moved out of his place over the Christmas holidays and his rental agreement was not so strict - so I just paid to have a cheap copy of his key cut and that was acceptable.

It was thanks to a Facebook group called "Turkuintel : varastettu/etsintäkuulutus/sos" that a friend recommended I post there a photo of my keys - that I knew my keys were back at the police station.

Someone was in the police station last week and kindly shared a photo of the lost keys cabinet.
I zoomed in on the photo and spotted a dog clicker that could be mine - I mean, what are the chances anyone else carries a dog clicker on their key ring??

I went in there yesterday morning and checked the cabinet before taking a number - and SUCCESS! They were there!

I was so happy!

I then went to the front where I had to get a number and I pushed "INFO"...I waited 30 minutes to find out I pushed the wrong button.

PUSH THE THIRD OPTION!!!

Then I waited not as long - showed the lady that I had a photo of my keys on my phone (I can highly recommend this especially if you might lose your keys and need to post in multiple Facebook community groups like I did!) but despite having the photographic evidence I own those keys - I still had to have 1 copy of the keys that would match with the lost set.

She matched one of the keys and I was free to go!

Finland is known as one of the most honest countries in the world - and I am so grateful I live here!

I have previously lost a wallet in JKL years ago - with a freshly loaded monthly bus card, about 10€ cash and a ton of cards - bank card, library card, various loyalty and membership cards....and I got it back within 2 weeks.  Nobody called me - even though my identification was in it.
Nothing was taken.  The bus card wasn't even used!

Whereas one time I did lose my bus card - again freshly loaded and someone did use it and once I reported it to the bus office - they locked it down and it was confiscated from the person who used it.  They got quite lucky to use it to begin with because it shows your gender and year of birth to the driver...

My ex has lost his passport in the woods while hiking - it fell out of his backpack and he got a call from the police as someone had dropped it off.

Not only is it quite safe to live in Finland - it's a very honest country - which is greatly appreciated by many.

LAFA

LAFA Interviews: Rock'n Style

Today was no ordinary day for me...it was one in a million.
You see - I am a klutz.  A natural magnet for disasters and accidents...and it just so happens I fell down two steps while taking my dog out (while inside my building) and completely rolled over my left ankle...so for the first time in my life - I had actually sprained something.  I have come close many times but this involved a trip to the ER and some X-Rays and a couple hours waiting in the hospital...so yeah.  It's official - I badly sprained my ankle and came close to rupturing stuff in my foot the doctor said...but anyway...I am alive!

It also happened to be the day I had a hair appointment with Olli Teelmäki - owner of Rock'n Style hair salon and the interview was held afterward over some wings.

So needless to say - I was going to do this interview regardless of my ankle's condition!
I guess you can say I am fairly stubborn or determined!


I arrived quite early to Rock'n Style and was immediately warmly greeted by the other two hairstylists (whom I've never met before) and Olli.
I hobbled over to the bench and sat down while taking in the scenery...you see, I have only been inside once or twice to say hi to Olli but never really took in the environment or the vibes of the place.

Of course there was rock music playing, customers were engaged in conversation with their stylists and the place was clean and bright with the clear contrasting colour scheme of black, red and white.

My hair cut was simple - clear off the dead ends, leave it long enough for me to put up neatly for work and maybe add a bit of layers.  We skipped the washing since I did it in the morning and we chatted about my incident with my stairs in the morning and saved the interview bit for dinner afterward.



"What are your credentials as a hair stylist?
In Finland some of the older barbers will have their certifications up on the wall and framed but I don't.  I graduated from ammattikoulu in Loimaa and I have done some extra courses of course but I did not go to business school for the entrepreneurship part of owning Rock'n Style.
Of course there are some lessons in barber school about how to be an entrepreneur.

Is this something you had always dreamed of doing?
Actually - no.  I have never had any kind of "dream job" ever.  When I was a very small kid my grandparents said that I wanted to be a gardener and grow sunflowers and vegetables.

Olli living the dream at 5-years old with those sunflowers!

In elementary school my favourite subjects were art and wood-crafting class.  I am a person who learns by doing - not from studying via books.

So when it was time to decide what I wanted to study for my post-secondary education - my first choice was being a barber.  The second choice was carpentry.

Have you always been a hair stylist - or have you changed professions before Rock'n Style?
I have always been a barber/hair stylist.

What makes Rock'n Style different than all the other hair salons around?
The first thing that the customers seem to say is that "Rock'n Style looks like a 'man cave' and for me I think it represents or looks like me or my home.
The next thing is that the theme colours are my favourite colours: black, white and red - so there is quite a bit of contrast.  I like pure colours and I like having vivid bright colours with something contrasting - same with dying hair too!

Would you like to expand yourself as a franchise some day if given the opourtunity?
No because I feel that Rock'n Style is me and my place and that is why they come here and it would never be the same as the original.  So I think one place is enough and it is not my ambition to open many places or create a franchise or brand of Rock'n Style like that.

Metallica CD cover art

And the matching CD!

Could this be a Finnish cultural thing - not wanting to show off or have too many ambitious ideas?
I never thought of it this way but I feel having only one location is more relaxed and mellow.

What is the challenge of being an entrepreneur/hair stylist given the competition around?
I actually don't think about the competition because I am not a competitive person by nature.
I mainly think about if the customers are happy and that they go home happy after visiting us.
That is my main focus.

What is Finnish education like in terms of hair stylist school?  What is required to graduate?
Hair styling school is technically a 3-years long program but because I went to Lukio for 3 years - I was able to shorten my hair-styling education by a year and only did 2 years program.

We learned only the basics of hair cutting and styling - colouring hair, cutting it, washing it and perms...we also had to do some reading of course like about micro-chemistry.  But working with customers hair is the best teacher of course!

Were you able to experience working with different cultures' hair types?
No unfortunately not because Loimaa is a small place and our customers we worked with were mostly elderly Finnish people.

Later I have learned how to handle different cultured/styles of hair by just doing it.

What is something you wish people knew about being a hair stylist?
I wish people knew more about what it was like to be an entrepreneur.
Sometimes people are checking if I raised the prices a bit and then they get upset but there are so many factors and reasons why entrepreneurs have to do this.

What is something you wish people would STOP doing to their hair?
I wish customers would stop going from one extreme colour to another - or bleaching it at home then expecting a miracle from a hair stylist to correct it and make it the colour they wanted.
Going from extreme hair colour to another takes time and steps to do it successfully.

What is something you wish people WOULD do more of with their hair?
I think using appropriate products to maintain their hair especially after a new cut or style!

What are the pros and cons of your job?

PROS

• I have a very flexible time table and work schedule!
• I have weekends off!
• Being an entrepreneur gives me the freedom to make my own shifts
• Quite regular customer base so I have a comfortable work relationship with those customers.
• I get to socialize with people!

• I am very lucky with my co-workers as well.  
• Linda has been working with me for ten years or so.
• Petra rents a chair and has been working with me for about a year.
• Nelli has also worked many years with me but is currently away.

CONS

• I tend to work longer evening shifts.
• Because I am an entrepreneur I don't get:
• sick leave
• official holidays

But this is normal for an entrepreneur.

What are your earliest memories of cutting or playing with hair as a child that you remember?

Immediately Olli laughs and says loudly: "MY POOR SISTER!"

I was about 2nd or 3rd grade (about age 8-9) and my sister was as young as kindergarten or first grade (6-7 years old) and our mom was on the phone and we asked if we could "go play barber".  She was busy on the phone and said okay!

So I tried cutting my sister's bangs to create a new parting line in the middle because I was so young I didn't know you just needed a comb for that!😆

Of course, she had her school photos the next week...

If you ever made a mistake while doing someone's hair - what was the best mistake you ever made?  Did the customer notice it and how did they react?!

The customer wanted to have her bangs dyed bright purple from ear to ear and leave the rest a very white-blonde.
Well, during washing after dying it - the purple leaked and her white-blonde hair went to a pastel purple instead.

I was very worried she wouldn't like it but I showed her and she was really happy thankfully!

What is Rock'n Style's specialty - if any?

We have been told that customers say "We have a bold way to cut and dye hair."

But my method is - "If the customer want it - we do it."

Whatever could be considered "radical or extreme" hair cut to someone else is just a normal day for me.

What was your targeted age group when coming up with the Rock'n Style concept?

Actually - none.  We did not have a targeted age group - of course we don't get many kids but some of our customers are having children and now bringing them to us - so we do get some children in for their hair cuts.  We have hardly any grandpa customers - which is a real shame!  Because they are so fun!

We actually have some older women clients and they tend to be more open-minded, have a bit more attitude (in a good way!) and are more young at heart.

It's actually interesting that older people question if they are allowed to come inside because the company name is "ROCK'n Style"...and of course they can!

Do you find first-time customers come in knowing exactly what they want or is there a bit of a guessing game - or is it totally spontaneous with what they're willing to do with their hair?

All of it.  It can be all of those above and then I mix in my own spice to it and we together mix it up to get a hair cut or style the customer likes!

Can someone who is interested in donating their hair to cancer patients for wigs go to you?
What is the process that goes into this?

We can measure off and cut the hair off in pig-tails and also cut and style the hair afterward - but we are not providing the donating service.  

Customers can come with their washed already that day or we will wash the hair if it's dirty.

Customers have to mail their ponytail donations themselves.  One place is Little Princess Trust. 

There is no fixed price for this service - it is based on time spent washing the hair, cutting the ponytails then properly cutting and styling it.

How do new customers find you usually?  
Usually by word of mouth - which is the best and worst way because anything (both positive and negative) can be said - it is an extremely powerful way for new customers to find Rock'n Style.
Sometimes people just walking by and dropping in and also via Instagram & Facebook.

Some customers have said that random people sometimes stop them and give a compliment about their hair.  That kind of information feels good and let's us know we have done a good job! 😀

How big is your team at Rock'n Style?
We are a team of four altogether but one is studying another field so she may leave Rock'n Style for that career path after graduating.


It is clear that rock music has defined you and your business...do you think it has made any kind of impact on your job or career choice?
Well, for me - rock music is my own way of living.  In 2005 I worked at Funky Star (a hair salon and fashion clothing shop) and the music was everything I did not like - too much pop, rap, shit music - ALL DAY.
So I already thought to myself, 'If I ever have my own place - it will play rock music!!'

All trimmed! 😁

What did it take to go from hair styling school to where you are now?  Did you "rent a chair" right after graduation and what does that even mean?
I went straight to a salon after graduating.
So after I graduated from Loimaa in 2002 I went to work at a hair salon called "Hiusstudio Teija" in Ikaalinen, where I am from, and I moved to Turku in 2003.
I then went to ammattikorkeakoulu to study estenomi for about 12 months and then I quit.  It was like a play-school - I didn't learn anything I didn't already know.

Rent a chair means you rent a chair in a salon somewhere and you usually bring your own scissors.
Normally all the other products like capes, machines, dyes, water, electricity etc. - is covered by the owner of the salon.
For example, deducted from your pay is 40% to be paid to the owner to cover those expenses and then the worker gets 60% and from that is the regular expenses like your taxes and pension etc are deducted.
With rent a chair employees - you just do your job and it is less risk for the owner of the salon because they do not have to pay your sick leave or official holidays.

What do you want people to know about Rock'n Style?
Our customer base is primarily 20-50+ years old with more women than men.  And we really do welcome everyone of every age and gender.
We can also do big hair makeovers to little ones!
People are so fixated on the shop title name that they think they can only come in if they have that "rock star" look or personality - and that is not true.  Perhaps some people think "Rock Music" is for "really old people" and they're scared of the name and style of music - but we can do a variety of styles for a variety of ages.

We have an easygoing environment and attitude!

Where do you see Rock'n Style in 12 months, 5 and 10 years?  When did Rock'n Style open?
I don't think much will change in a 1, 5 or 10 years.  And we opened about 11 years ago.

Are you ever bored of your job?
No - sometimes maybe a teeny-tiny bit but really everyday is so different.  There's always different customers and different stories and many of our customers are like friends - so it's nice to see them at work!
I really like my job and after having a holiday break - I am totally fine going back to work whereas many people dread it.

If you could style any celebrity's hair - who would it be?
Michael Monroe for sure!! He is a rock dude.
He actually lives nearby and every time I see him walk by I hope he will come inside but it hasn't happened yet!

Did you design the inside of Rock'n Style?
Yes mostly and I built some of the interior as well.  Before Rock'n Style it was a painting/art and poster shop.

What product line does Rock'n Style sell?
We primarily carry Four Reasons."

You can find Rock'n Style on Facebook, Instagram and book an appointment on their website here.
And if you are a student - with a valid student ID card you get -10% off your hair cut (excludes colouring, perming etc - only the cut) and if you have the "Slice" student card app - you get 10% off the hair cut too.
But as a first time customer, using the Slice app - then you get 20% off everything - colouring included.
You can be served in English and Finnish.

I want to thank Olli and his team at Rock'n Style for meeting with me to have this interview and for the fantastic service for my quick trim too!

LAFA

If you're interested in being featured in my blog - please don't hesitate to contact me at:

learningaboutFinland (a) gmail.com

LAFA Interviews: Cup & Pint

It took awhile to plan this interview due to both of our schedules but luckily, I was able to sit down with Casper - manager of Cup & Pint in Turku for about half an hour and we sped through this interview!
The reason for it going so quickly is primarily based on the fact it was a student night and there was an estimated 10,000 students planning on touring Turku's pubs!

"When was Cup & Pint born?
Autumn 2009

Why is it called 'Cup & Pint'?
It is a mix of a coffee house and bar with a mainly British Royals theme.

What kind of food does Cup & Pint serve?
We have appetizers, snacks, pancakes, pizza and salad.  Pizza is our most popular seller - especially the "Brexit" one!

How often does the menu change?
It hasn't changed in about 1.5 years but we aim to change it about once a year.

Do you change the alcohol menu just as often?
We change it all the time because we will get new wines and beers almost every week.

What is Cup & Pint best known for?
Well, we have the British Royal theme, good pizzas and a good selection of beers as well.  We are an easygoing bistro pub!
We also have a very popular Pub Quiz night every Thursday from 6-9pm in Finnish.




Who runs Cup & Pint?
Ravantit Oy runs Cup & Pint along with 7 other restaurants/pubs.
There is:

• Pippurimylly
• Hugo
• Hunsvotti
• Kerttu
• Rantakerttu
• Ravintola Teini
• Gastro Pub Löytö

They are a family-run business.

Is Cup & Pint a local or franchised business?

It is local - there is only one location in Turku and only one Cup & Pint!

Are your ingredients locally sourced?

Some are - yes.  We do try our best to get local products and we do have some local beers available as well.

What is the busiest time of the week?

A great selection of board games for you to play!

Usually whenever we have a Pub Quiz, weekends and Fridays are especially busy.

Do you offer delivery of meals directly or via Wolt or Foodora?

We offer delivery via Wolt only.

Do you find the competition tough with so many pizzerias nearby or with so many pubs & bars around?  What makes Cup & Pint stand out and rise above all of the competition?

Yes.  We have different kinds of pizzas, we make our sour dough pizza dough on site and fresh, we are a small family-owned company and we offer friendly service.

I saw there is an extensive alcohol-free (and recently updated) menu online.  Does Cup & Pint sell equal amounts of alcohol-free and regular alcohol-based beverages?

Primarily I think alcohol-based beverages sell the best.

Where do you see Cup & Pint in 12 months, 5 and 10 years from now?

Hopefully in 12 months we are doing a little better on the business side of things and have more customers.

In 5 and 10 years - hopefully we are still around!

Would you say majority of your customers are Finns or expats?

Mostly Finns.

Has Cup & Pint always been at this location? (Across from the train station at Humalistonkatu 17b)

Yes

Up close and personal 

Even the toilets are royally themed!

Do all the staff speak English - seeing as this is a British/Royal themed gastro pub?

Almost!

Will there be another Cup & Pint location in Turku or elsewhere in Finland?

Not as of yet but who knows!"

After our interview was done Casper kindly shared information about the Pub Quiz nights and how they work as I had never been to one.

Nearly every night at a variety of pubs and bars throughout Turku (and other cities in Finland) there are these Pub Quiz nights.
In Cup & Pint alone there are about 100 customers participating in both floors of this pub!
The bottom floor houses a couple fooseball tables and some comfortable seating - but is much smaller than the upper floor.

To reach all (approximately) 100 participants of the Pub Quiz - they post the questions on the TV screens and participants in teams of 1-5 people.

Prizes at Cup & Pint are:

1st: 35€ gift card

2nd: 25€ gift card

3rd: 15€ gift card

Also there is a lottery throughout the night for a variety of prizes.

The ages for the Pub Quiz nights range from 20-80 years old!
There are different levels of finals as well:

Restaurant Finals - Prizes are a little bigger

Area Finals - Prizes are bigger than Restaurant Finals.
National Finals - Prizes are usually holiday-related and this is only held once a year.

So 6 months is 1 season in the Pub Quiz world and in the Spring and Fall they count up the ranking points (if I understood correctly) because every Pub Quiz night you go to - you/your team collect points that go toward the Restaurant Finals and help you possibly advance.
Pub Quiz nights are held only in Finnish in Cup & Pint with the questions covering a variety of topics every week!

I loved how bright it was inside (of course it helps when the sun is shining 😁)  - the furniture was comfortable and I love the large windows to people watch!

I also thoroughly enjoyed the decor with all these wonderful old photos of the Royal family!

It was also shared - since I inquired about lunch buffets or special deals available - that they are not open until 14:00 on Friday and Saturdays and only 16:00 from Monday to Thursday (closed on Sunday).
I asked why so late and Casper had said that there wasn't enough business to be open earlier in the day and he remembered before where they did have lunch offers and even breakfast as well!

Considering the location is quite near the bus station and directly across from the train station - I was very surprised!

Downstairs

Downstairs

I would like to thank the staff of Cup & Pint for allowing me to roam around and take photos during a very busy evening in progress and also to Casper for accommodating some time for me to squeeze in an interview!

You can find Cup & Pint's website here and on Facebook and Instagram here.

I had heard of Cup & Pint and seen friends' photos of their pizza but had never actually ventured inside before!
But thanks to this friendly and quick interview and seeing the customers being in a very bright and relaxed atmosphere - I may have to give it a try sometime!
AND I JUST SAW IT IS A DOG-FRIENDLY LOCATION ON THEIR INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT!!! So now I DEFINITELY have to bring my side kick Loki with me!! 

Loki is my 12-year old husky mix gentledoggo!
If you ever see us around - please feel free to say hello as he is SUPER friendly and loves everyone and all doggies too!

LAFA

If you are interested in an interview and being featured in my blog - please contact me at:

LearningaboutFinland(a)gmail.com

LAFA Experiences: The Jyväskylä City Library

Photo credit to my 8-year old

Today is a super snow filled day and because my children and I are a group of 4 (ages are 6-10) - we decided to get an all day ticket for the Linkki bus on their app and do some shopping about.

One thing we did was going to the Jyväskylä City Library.  It is free to get a library card with proof of identity and a Finnish Social ID number.
I actually have forgotten to bring my library card with me a couple of times and have provided my Finnish ID card at the desk and was able to still borrow a library book.

You also get a PIN code for your library card that you can choose yourself - so when checking out books you can confirm your identity by punching in the code.
Library books are good to borrow for 4 weeks at a time unless otherwise noted.
Movies are good for 1 week (as far as I know but it has been awhile) and the JKL City library has actually been under some renovations and re-designing recently!

There is a children-friendly area, along with a newly designed gaming area (the game on display to play was chess), lots of comfortable seating areas and you are also able to have snacks in designated areas as well.
There are rooms to rent to play musical instruments and they now have a "Self-Service Library" (Facebook link for info in English).

A new digital map

Of course the JKL City library does not compare to the newest Helsinki addition "Oodi" but it's still quite nice to be in with plenty of events and things to do!
And I can most certainly recommend the Oodi library if you ever want to see a not so typical tourist attraction while visiting Helsinki!

Board games to play!

The library is easily accessible by most Linkki buses or by foot depending where you live and very high tech in terms of returning books, checking books out and even renewing books online!

Here is a list of all the Central Finland libraries "Keski Libraries" available for you to access via Facebook and yes, you can use the same library card along with returning books to the other linked libraries.

Little tablets can be found to help you search for books in the aisles!

Returning items to the library

It is also worth following them on Facebook for any last minute updates or cancellations there may be - along with general knowledge of local events happening at the various libraries throughout Jyväskylä!

The primary one that I visit is the downtown location for convenience in terms of location.

Upstairs in the children's area are a collection of fish tanks!

My son's library card! Mine is in Turku in a different wallet!

Libraries are not just full of books these days - they seem to be evolving with the changing of the times and keeping up relatively well with the modern technology as well.

And if you didn't know already - Finland is one of the top countries that uses their library services the most!

Comfy seating in the board game area!

A community puzzle anyone can contribute to!

Going to the library for me brings back fond memories of going with my parents on the weekend - returning my borrowed books and borrowing new ones to read!  I am hoping to instill the same fond memories for my children and let's face it.  Books in the shop are expensive and being able to have access to a very well stocked library is one of the greatest gifts one can have!

Just FYI - during the winter months - you cannot enter the library with metal studded footwear or metal grips to prevent slipping on the ice inside!

Thank you for reading!
LAFA

LAFA Experiences: Havumäki Ranch

I had the greatest oppourtunity to visit Havumäki Ranch - outside of Jyväskylä, Finland this past weekend and WHAT AN EXPERIENCE IT WAS!
I had not planned on going there but a dear friend of mine was visiting from abroad and invited myself and 2/3 of my kids over (third kiddo was at his respite care - I will blog about that later) for the night.
We quickly packed our bags and jumped into the car and it is about a 20-25 minutes ride from Jyväskylä with a very bumpy and long-winding dirt road to drive up to.  It is in a very secluded area in the woods and extremely peaceful!




The ranch is a large three floor house with spacious everything!  You can find all the information about the home itself here on their official site in English.

I was blown away by the spaciousness of it and the outdoors was lovely as well because we were able to drive the snowmobile - an old giant Lynx and did some sledding down a hill using reusable shopping bags...sounds ghetto but we did not have time to grab the kids' sleds unfortunately! 
Also, my kids don't ski/didn't have their skis with them or snowboard - so - reusable shopping bags it was!

I wish we were able to stay longer - but due to my friend's work schedule and my travel schedule - one night over and about half a day was a fantastic sampling of a visit to the Havumäki Ranch!

We did not bother with the extra sauna hut outdoors, the outdoor hot tub or any of the ramps built in that could be used for downhill skiing or snowboarding!  We kept the house warm with the old wood oven and felt comfortable and cozy.

I slept upstairs alone while my children shared a room and my friend had another room.

The view from my window was pretty and snow-filled and if given the oppourtunity, I would definitely go back and try to fit in some hiking as well - since skateboarding is not my thing and "accident prone" is my middle name! 😆

And if you are not aware of Finnish sauna culture - it is a sort of rite of passage to go rolling about in the snow during the winter months after having sauna or even swimming in a nearby lake!!
Of course you go back in the sauna to warm up and repeat this process as much as you like!
I admit - I have been here for 10 years and have not done such a thing other than to stand in the snow and dip my toe into a hole in the lake.  That was PLENTY for me!
However, since it was my birthday weekend - I decided to take it up a notch and borrow my friend's sandals and step into the snow, quickly remove the towel for a few photos!
Yes I do have 2 arms but one hand had to hold the towel! And there was no lake nearby for me to dip a toe in!

My goal with this blog was to have more experiences - and I don't mean just interviewing new people whichever city I am in - but experiences from a foreigner's perspective!
And I feel that getting naked outside in the snow post-sauna did just that for me.  It was of course SUPER cold but - you do what you gotta do!

And of course - having this experience of going to Havumäki Ranch is just another one in a million experiences in Finland!
If you are able to go and rent it for a night or even better a weekend with your friends or loved ones - DO IT!  You will not regret it!

Be sure to pack your helmets, snowboard or skateboard, other protection gear if needed and have a GREAT time!

And I know this sounds really weird but the water there is SO pure and fresh!  It's much softer than city tap water as I believe their water hook up is from a well and it is just fantastic!

Thanks again to my dear friend M for inviting us, feeding us and transporting us to and from Havumäki Ranch.  It's an experience none of us will ever forget!

LAFA