Public transportation: Finland, GOLD; US, LEAD maybe?
Not only is the transit network fabulous and convenient, but I learned when we arrived that, if you are an adult traveling with a baby carriage/stroller, you ride for FREE! That means that anywhere I go with Leila in the greater Helsinki area, whether on a train, bus or tram, I don't pay anything. That just boggled my mind and is just totally fantastic.
In addition, the transit runs impeccably on time. Matt told me that people are furious and complain if a train is 2 minutes late. Also, instead of dropping your money into a machine inside the vehicle, you just hold up an electronic debit-type card to a scanner and push the appropriate button to deduct the cost of your ticket. If you (or the transit police) hold it up to the machine, it shows when you paid and how much. (By the way, if the transit police catches you not having paid, it's an 80 euro fine! Most people here don't dare try to cheat the system.)
The transit here is unbelievably efficient and convenient. The US doesn't even come close to competing in this area...
Recycling: Finland, GOLD; US, BRONZE
Parts of the US, like California, do pretty well at the recycling gig, but Finland does it better. Your household garbage can has multiple compartments for compost, paper, cardboard, and then general waste. Bottles and cans are recycled at the grocery stores, where you get your deposit back in the form of a voucher to use at the store.
Apartment flooring: Finland, GOLD; US, BRONZE
Almost all apartments in Finland have wood floors or laminate at the very least. Rental apartments in the US usually have some variation of beige or brown carpeting (ick). I gotta say, wood is so much nicer!!
Bathrooms: US, GOLD; Finland, BRONZE
Here's one area where the US excels. Bathrooms there are, in general, palatial and spacious and esthetically pleasing. Finnish bathrooms are very functional. They have their plusses, like the drain in the floor that makes cleaning the floor a cinch and the towel bars that are heated by the hot water pipes that pass through them (very nice on a cold day!), but they are generally small and kinda ugly. Our bathroom has the added plus of having a sauna in it, but I would still love some windows, a bathroom fan, a big tub (or at least a decent shower head instead of these stupid handheld ones) and a stylish tiling job...
a) Toilet flushing mechanisms: Finland, GOLD; US, BRONZE
It seems funny that something like how you flush a toilet could be so different. In the US, toilets have one way to flush. Generally, the flush is powerful and uses lots of water. Here, the flushing mechanism has two parts: a kind of half flush for No. 1 and a whole flush for No. 2. You just push the button that corresponds to the type of flush you want. It's a great way to save on water consumption if you don't need a powerful flush every time.
b) Toilet paper: US, GOLD; Finland, SANDPAPER
The US definitely has the world's best selection of soft toilet paper. The stuff all over Europe (Finland included) is coarse and scratchy. I think it has something to do with being more environmental and not using so many resources to create pretty, bleached white and soft toilet paper. However, sometimes my rear end could care less about those issues!
Clothes dryers: US, GOLD; Finland, N/A
Dryers in the US work well and generally get your clothes dry in about an hour. In Finland, dryers are either non-existent, or they take like 2+ hours to actually get things dry. Some apartments (like ours) do have these "drying rooms" where you hang your clothes on a clothesline in a room with a machine that blasts hot air through the room. It's kind of like a sped up version of drying your clothes on a clothesline outdoors. However, it still takes about 8 hours to get everything dry... Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to have laundry facilities. I don't know what I'd do without access to washers, but it would be so nice to have an effective dryer, too. Can't Finland import some good ones from the US??
To be continued...
5 comments:
Greetings from Penn State Altoona. It sounds like transition to Finland from USA is smooth sailing. Leila is adorable. I can't tell who she favors in looks - of course, she has her own look! What a cutie!
I'd argue that Boston may take the silver for public transit. Yay car-lessness! Would it crash the system if I sent you some Charmin? I toured an early 1800's house here in Boston and they had a clothes drying room. It's the 21st century, for crying out loud. Maybe you should write a letter to the president. I'll bet she has an efficient clothes dryer. Glad to hear your spirit. Big hugs from across the ocean!
"b) Toilet paper: US, GOLD; Finland, SANDPAPER"
HAHA. It seems that Matt has played cheap-charlie when buying toilet paper :D
It is true that if you buy the yellow "forest saver" paper or maybe even some of the industrial ones, you will end up with sandpapering your behind.
Any grocery store in Finland also sells premium toilet paper, which is white and soft. Better yet, the Finnish papers are known to hold when wet as well. Very many of the US and international "soft premium" brands are notoriously well known for their special "finger through the paper" phenomenon when wet.
Congratulations on the arrival of Leila -- she is beautiful -- and your arrival in Finland! We had a crazy summer of travel and hadn't heard of all the changes in store for you. We wish you the best and hope to stay in touch -- our travels may lead us to Finland one day soon -- we can only hope.
All the best,
Natalie, Jim, Laurel, and Ellie Detert
This is awesome! Terra, Steph and I were talking about your Finland-US comparisons the other day and getting a real kick out of them. The Finnish and British seem to have a lot in common.
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