When I worked at Nokia, my orientation instructor told us that during a job interview, it is common in Finland to ask questions that would probably land employers in hot water in the US. For example, if an overweight person applies for a job (any job), the interview can legally ask that person about the possibility of his/her weight to be a barrier in doing an excellent job.
I went to Espoo in Finland, and most of the people I met very serious (at Nokia headquarters) and they seem to forever go to school even when they work during the daytime.
And also, some KA music:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oL4i2rXJhnU&feature=related
And Nightwish, with Tarja Turunden:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VgLKXD-BoY
parsy, who digs this stuff
Yup. They don’t say too much but when they do - they do not pull any punches. You are expected to preform too.
They are crazy smart and very studious. I remember having a few of them in college classes. When you realized it you would think “oh s**t I am going to have to work hard cause there will be no grade curve cause these Finns were getting A+’s.” It takes a bit to lower the barriers but when they do they are great people.
A Marine friend now lives in Espoo with his Finnish wife and their two kids. They’re all pretty quiet and somewhat serious. Although in his 40s, he’s now fairly literate in Finnish and works for Suunto.