Only In Finland
We’d just got back from visiting hubby’s relatives and congratulating his brother on his graduation over sandwiches and cake when hubby’s phone rang.
Nothing new there. My fella, and indeed most Finnish males, can spend aprox 22 hours a day on the phone. Unless of course I call him and then he can only spare 2 minutes. Probably worried he’s going to miss a call.
It was the self satisfied grin when he put the phone down that piqued my curiosity.
‘Guess what I’ve just done.’
‘No idea, darling, why don’t you enlighten me.’
‘I’ve just come 11th in the world championships for *insert unpronounceable word here*.
‘What?’
‘I’m the 11th best *unpronounceable word* in the world’
‘That’s super darling.’
There’s a pause in conversation whilst he smiles smugly to himself
‘Umm, honey?’
‘Yes’
‘What’s that?’
‘What?’
‘That big long word you just used.’
‘Cage fishing for perch.’
‘Ahh.’ My brain starts to glaze over at the mention of fishing. ‘That’s nice dear. When did you do that?’
‘Today.’
‘Today?’
‘Yeah’
‘Today, today?’
He looks at me like I’m an idiot. ‘Yes. Today.’
‘When? You’ve been with me all day.’
‘Oh I wasn’t actually at the competition.’
‘Huh? You came 11th in a competition you didn’t attend?’
‘Umm.’ He nods and looks at me like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
‘So how did you…oh I get it. There were only 11 people. ha ha ha’
He gives me a look of consternation. ‘No. There were about 100.’
‘But you’ve been with me all day. I definitely would have noticed if you nipped out to take part in a world championship.’
‘I got someone put it in the lake for me.’
‘Someone else put your cage in the lake for the world championships?’
He nods, clearly getting frustrated with my appalling lack of mental speed.
‘But…isn’t that cheating?’
‘No. you’re allowed to have someone to help you.’
Well did you at least make the cage?
No. Some gave it to me.
‘Riiiiggghht.’ My brow furrows as I try to make sense of this. ‘So you are 11th best in the world at being given a fishing cage and getting someone to put it in a lake for you?’
‘Yes,’ he said smiling smugly as if it were something to be proud of. ‘And I probably would have won if they had listened to my instructions properly.
Just when I think I am starting to understand this country it throws something like that at me.
I'm Heather, an ex expat, now back in blighty and living in Lancashire. Which is just like Lapland only less snowy...and stuff.
Well now I am convinced that ancient Rome colonized Lapland, or vice versa, cos there is something vaguely familiar about both the phone and the competition. It's not carbon copy, there is a missing element of pride at being crafty, but, yeah, got to be some ancestors in common LOL
PS a Finnish group of Musical High School kids came to my little town to perform a couple of weeks ago.
OMG they were amazing. 15 years old, a real display of teamwork and the talent was just incredible.
Yes I can understand your confusion. I wonder what would happen if someone less Finnish (say a Kiwi) were to email instructions. Could I win the coveted cage fishing competition in Lapland? I have a space on my CV under awards that's looking a little bare.
very strange indeed
hahahahahahahaha
I am loving this
Now, where's my application for X-Factor? I wonder if I can get Kelly Clarkson to enter for me…
Hilarious!
How absolutely bizarre. Can anyone enter then, how about a couple of Catfish Angling guides from Spain next year, the trophy would look nice on our mantlepiece.
Whoa! Now that's some sport! Is it even a sport? Well congratulations are in order I suppose. So well done on coming 11th! I 'm sure he won 1st prize for team effort but didn't tell you.
This conversation sounds like the conversations that go on around here – they go in circles forever until finally someone (read: Hubby) decides to clarify…..
Too funny about the competition!
What else can you do only laugh! Oh and congratulate him of course
Jen.
Teehee! That is hilarious! Do pass on my congratulations ; )
LMAO. Enough said.
It's a cage for fish?
To be honest when I saw the picture I thought it was high art concept for a weird pair of underpants.
You're back from the UK and you're back on form. I think I'm beginning to like Finnish men. There's so much no logic to your hubby's way of thinking that it seems to make perfect sense. Almost.
Aww, don't diss the poor guy's pride. I mean he did go to the trouble of borrowing the cage and bringing it to someone else to put in the lake – or did he get someone else to pick up and deliver?
The burning question in my mind is how many people worldwide do cage fishing for perch? Were the 100 at the competition the cream of the crop, a random selection, or the only ones?
it certainly sounds as though they have ancestry in common, huh? lol. The Finnish musical group sound great, sadly you are much more likely to see things like that in Italy than the north of Finland – very few entertainment type things travel this far north from the south of Finland.
ha ha ha, how funny would that be?!
Things in Finland rarely surprise me as much as they used to but this one was a bit out there, even for me.
How cool would that be?
life here often is. lol
I don't see why not…
he probably did, he doesn't like to brag, as you can probably tell. Ahem. And sadly yes, it is a sport.
conversations with men can be rather bewildering at times, huh?
Do you know, I think that with all my confusion and laughing incredulously, I forgot to congratulate him. lol
Oh I shall. He'll be thrilled.
ha ha ha, tis a bit silly, huh?
The first time I saw one in the flesh, as it were, I had no clue what it was. Maybe I could sell one to a gallery and make a fortune. not one I'd made myself obviously, got to keep in with the spirit of the Finnish way.
Bonkers but entirely lovable.
MD xx
There is a certain none logic, logic there, isn't there? They certainly keep me amused.
I wouldnt be at all surprised to find out that he had never even clapped eyes on the cage but merely got his friend to pick it up from another friend.
That pretty much sums up the Finns I would say.
Fantastic ! I love that, perhaps I can enter the competition next year
Brilliant idea – we could enter a Mummy Bloggers team and maybe Heather could put the basket in the water for us…
omg nickie-am lmao at u!
ROFL! That's a competition I could get on board with!