Where the magic mill of sampo
Strange country Finland has two names – for abroad and, so to speak, for "Internal use". At home she poetically magnifies himself. Strange people Finn in their dreams of a full life since the time of the ancient epic "Kalevala" They were not on the horn of abundance or a self-balancing tablecloth, but on the Magic Mill Sampo. Work on it – and there will be prospect.
Once at the beginning of the 90s of the last century in the most powerful crisis, Suomie within a few years not only defeated the economic collapse, but also very quickly achieved sustainable growth in excess of the average indicators for the European Union. And in response to the request to reveal the recipe "Finnish economic miracle" Strange Finns completely deny all sorts of wonders and say that only "a little tightened belts and worked". it "Tightened belt" in three or four years it turned out that the people of lumberjack turned themselves to the nation of high technologies. Now the leading Finnish industry – telecommunications, and the Japanese – and they know the newest technologies – to implement the ultra-modern wireless Internet project signed a contract with Finns.
Finnish fences
Those who have never thought about which role in the life of a person plays a fence, it is useful to visit Finland. Finns fences do not complain. And, I must say, their absence on the farms, in the towns and towns to face the country of thousands of lakes, most of which were divided among themselves, but a water surface and forests. Refusing fences, people let in nature right into the yards, to the porch, window, entrance. And every building, fitted not in the close geometry of a fenced architectural object, and in a living landscape, looks more proudly.
If the fence is impossible to avoid, it amazes with his elegance. For example, around plants, enterprises and warehouses, which is absolutely necessary, it is made transparent, barely noticeable, but strong – from the steel grid. Such is the fashion of Finnish industrial design. And the grains of precious thoroughbred horses are fenced so as not to hurt the pride of animals, – inconspicuous wire "Electropastuha".
But if we are talking about the safety or convenience of people, then the fences do not store here. Hundreds of kilometers of powerful fences protect citizens from accidents on highways, cut off from noise or harmful effects.
From Soviet times there is an unemployed joke in Russia that the Finns are planning to build a 1300-kilometer fence throughout the Finnish-our border. But can the country that keeps the monuments remaining from the our past monuments, cemeteries and temples remaining from the our past, which gives multiple visas from Vyborgov? The Round Day calls ours. Local radio, multiply the our-speaking press and communities. Interested in tourism Finland even prepared in our leadership how to return a part of the money spent on purchases. So fences Finns still do not like.
Leisurely hymen
Summer on rural highway and high-speed roads of Finland there are unusual signs – scarlet hearts. They indicate the path to the places of wedding celebrations, more than half of whom the old tradition fall on the summer. Especially often weddings play at the end of June: and the longest day, and the holiday of Saint Johannes – Ivanov, our day – brings an additional weekend.
Unprepared guests, hitting a celebration, can feel some confusion at the sight "Young". Most Finnish newlyweds are quite mature people, besides, accompanied by a kind brood of kids. Now, for example, the average age of citizens officially entering into marriage is 31 years old for women and 34 for men. And although the decision to marry at that age people take, it would seem, after mature thinking, in the country for 24 thousand weddings per year accounts for 13-14 thousand divorces. Sociologists clarify that later the entry of the Finns marriage is partly due to the fear of young people to lose work. For the same reasons, they do not risk early to acquire children, because all assistance programs for parents are somehow related to their employment. Many prefer to live together without making commitments in the face of the law. Now the fifth of spouses living with a shared household stays in a civil marriage. And after the recent election, the Institute of Such a Marriage "consecrated" From the highest stands: President Tarja Halonen lives in a civil marriage, and its civil husband is introduced to all official biographies of the head of state and is taken into account by the diplomatic protocol.
Changed the character and wedding celebration itself. It turned into "Holiday well-minded life". People find a satellite of life, check their feelings and compatibility in everyday life, then children appear, and after that they arrange a wedding, as if confirming that their union has managed. Therefore, weddings in Finland become all the luxurious, exquisite and noiser. An integer industry arose, providing suitive ceremonies, and special editions dismissed them, stopping them in detail on thousands of thousands spent on the celebrations.
Computer in Zaholusty
I will hit unemployment and outstand. Internet! – Such a slogan has advanced "Fathers" Three small cities in the Finnish North Karelia. A concerned outflow not only young people, but also a mature dynamic part of the population in industrial centers, municipalities of the towns of Yuka, Valtimo and Nurmes decided to keep fugitives civilization with delivery to the house.
Program "Civilian computer network" gained more than 20 thousand inhabitants in the information space. On the means of municipalities, computer halls were organized in four dozen public places – in libraries, shops, restaurants and cafes People who do not have their own computers have received free access to the network. There are also new jobs – you need instructors to use personal computers and the Internet. As a result, only the fourth resident became only in the valtimo permanent user. In general, the Internet is used by 2.2 million Finns – almost half of the population of the five millionth country. And 900 thousand do it daily. And although not yet calculated how many young people "Civic network" kept in his native land, no one doubts her benefit.
By the way, provincial thinking in the categories of high technologies – the thing in Finland is not so and rare. Now the whole country is looking forward to the end of the experiment in a small town at the polar circle. There, instead of close for the lack of students, the local lyceum has studied the modern technique of the building of the old damp and started classes that the teachers from the district center are carried out in real time from a specially equipped studio. If this year, eight students of the telecommunications lyceum will successfully surrender exams, the experiment will be officially recommended for the introduction in remote areas.
Torture on the road
Finland Roads – the special circle of hell, which is prepared for autolychach. Judge for yourself: it is easy on the road, where not only the holes are no cracks, where the soundbands are laid on both sides, and the board with information about the coating temperature, where, because of the thick grid, even a field mouse, keeping on the speedometer no more than eighty?!
And this is on one of the main tracks in the country, between the new capital – Helsinki and the old – Turku, where, besides, through each kilometer, it is necessary to reduce the speed of up to sixty, when the city is cut on the horizon or the omission.
And this is a hell invention – police cameras! Work, register and print on the printer Penal receipts, which then come to you by mail. And absolutely sophisticated sadism – about each such chamber in advance (!) warns a special sign. No to hide in the bushes.
It is not easy to make a millionless our citizens, entry into the country annually register Finnish border guards. As the Ministry of Transport and Communication of Finland was calculated using the same cameras and computers, the speed regime violate 40% of our drivers and 50% of Finnish. But in the subgroup of desperate Likhach, parity reigns: the researchers have enrolled in 10% of drivers on each side. In the discharge of professional drivers, the finns won the crushing victory: 20% recorded in the violators. As for our truckers, 65% of our drivers recognize that when entering Finland, they change the driving manner. Finns believe that this is the result of the control over the ours, "Enlightening" and explanatory work. Even in the Moscow-Helsinki train, the colorful allowance in our, teeing how to ride on Finnish roads.
Plok in the service of society
Finland made a significant contribution to the global piggy bank of combating social vices, in particular, in particular, in the rigid framework by the monopoly monopoly and alcohol consumption. And recently in the country introduced new rules of smoking in public places. They still restrict those who are subjected to this harmful habit, and protect the non-smoking. By the way, it is interesting: instead of ashtray in windy Helsinki in street cafes. Clay flower pots inverted upside on their own stand. Very convenient to shake cigarettes through the drain hole in a potted day. And the wind ash does not swell.
However, despite some successes, no drunkenness, nor smoking in disciplined Finnish society. But one of the defects – gambling – was put to the service of society. Although Finns and impress people phlegmatic, slot machines here are not idle and lotteries thrive. The population of Suomie annually settles the playing more than three billion Finnish brands, which is approximately half a billion american dollars. But the Finnish state does not allow anyone to reserve at the Gambling Business: all types of gambling for money, including the only casino in the country, are under the control of the Gaming Machine Management Association. All profits from Azart are transferred to the state budget, and the Association develops proposals on the distribution of it for useful society goals and monitors money spending. Pressing the buttons of the machine, making a bet in a casino or buying a lottery ticket, each Finn knows what finances the hospital, a nursing home, disabled care or any other charitality act.
"Cafe Moscow"
"Sharp and strong jerking over the drain knuckle of the drain tank leads to a breakdown of it and water leakage up to 12000 liters per day. Having found water leakage or device malfunction, inform immediately". This nostalgic petition, aged in the classic style of the Soviet bureaucracy, hangs on the wall of the toilet in a small cafe of old Helsinki. And this is not the only exhibit of the institution with a curtained Tulle by the window and inconspicuous sign in our: "Cafe Moscow". With painted oil paint walls, portraits of Soviet leaders are looking, the interior is enliven to familiar Olympic bears and matryoshki. Pride of the institution – old radiol "Rigond" with a collection of three hundred plates – from Schulzhenko and Berse to Vysotsky and "Gemstone". For the biggest amateurs to pass through the past, the delicais: a record with a speech Brezhnev "On issues of ideological education and education". Nostalgic note is made even in the cafe menu, in which along with type dumplings under "Metropolitan" Figures a thick circle of sausage on black bread.
Attractions Period "Real Socialism" many years collected and received as a gift from our friends brothers Mika and Aki Kaurismyaki – not restaurants, but directed. Open cafes They prompted the desire to show their collection to the general public. According to the owners, the institution is intended for those who want to sit in a circle of friends and "Discuss the masterpieces of the our and global copyright". And although the Kaurismäki brothers on this topic are not expressed out loud, they are probably drawn in our inspiration and in our, even we are happily forgotten socialism.
