Expat stories - part 2

Being both foreigners in Finland, we like to hear stories from other fellow expats, to share and compare our points of view, feelings and experiences. That’s why we decided to start this series, to understand how people with different cultures and backgrounds feel about this country, but also to provide a fun and useful tool for Finns, for them to realize how their own country is seen from a different point of view.

Today we have a talk with Hamza and EbunOluwa. They both moved from two African countries to Finland very recently, let’s see what are their thoughts about their stay here so far!

Who are you?

Hamza: I'm Kilech Hamza, a 29 years old student at Haaga-Helia from Morocco. I study International Business in Porvoo Campus.

EbunOluwa: My name is EbunOluwa Ojebode. I am from Nigeria and I am in my third semester at Haaga-Helia University studying Aviation Business. I am a fun loving and adventurous person.

For how long have you lived in Finland?

Hamza: I have moved to Finland last October, so I have lived here for nearly 4 months now

EbunOluwa: I have lived in Finland for a little over a month: I moved here last January.

What were your thoughts about finland before moving here?

Hamza: I always considered Finland as a happy place full of friendly people and opportunities , and I still stand by that ideal!

EbunOluwa: I would say a quiet, less crowded and beautiful country. Another thing that caught my interest is Helsinki Airport: I was very excited because I could not wait to experience Helsinki's Airport unique features, like 48-year old parquet, Tapio Café, bird noises in the bathroom and so on. Unfortunately, I am yet to experience these. But I hope to get that experience soon!

Tell one thing that shocked you about Finland!

Hamza: The one thing that shocked was how much Finnish people love their alchohol. They really love their liquor. Long live Alko! 😊

EbunOluwa: The freezing cold. Coming from a place where it is sometimes as hot as 30°, Finland's weather really took me by surprise. Another thing I noticed is the fact that dogs were happily running outside in the cold without freezing!

What was your first impression when seeing Finland from the plane? What were your thoughts?

Hamza: After looking down from the plane and seeing such a gorgeous view, I felt very optimistic about my future here and I was certain that my stay in Finland would be very beneficial for me.

EbunOluwa: My first impression of Finland was that it looked more like a tourist attraction centre than an actual country where people were living. This was because of the snow and the beautiful landscape that I saw. My first thought at this was how I would survive the cold and how I would fit in.

Describe Finland with one word! and tell us why did you choose that word.

Hamza: my word is excellence. I chose it because Finland excels in everything and has exceeded my expectations in every possible way.

EbunOluwa: Natural! I chose this word because of the beautiful environment, culture and the people.

What is your relationship with Finnish language so far?

Hamza: Even after staying in Finalnd for a while now I still only know basic words, mainly because it is quite hard for me to learn, as it doesn't share any similarities with other languages I know, but I'm not giving up and still trying to learn little by little!

EbunOluwa: My relationship with the finnish language is poor at the moment. I cannot hide that I’m havingquite a hard time learning it. I only understand basic words like hyvä,Tervetuloa, Kiitos, ystävä and so on for now!

Is there a Finnish word you particularly like, and why?

Hamza: My favorite Finnish word would be "Tarjous", because it means I can get good deals from stores when shopping! 😊

EbunOluwa: I like the word Kiitos because it means "Thank you", also because it is sweet and easy to pronounce, and it brings a smile on most people's faces!

Here you can see the home countries of our expat stories so far! Contact us if you'd like to share your story with us! :)

-Mike