One of our readers offered to tell her experience. emigration to Finland and write a guest post on this topic. Her The scheme is clearly not for everyone, and frankly, I never considered Finland as a country for relocation, but less I was interested in reading the impressions about this country more than Irina is also the mother of a special child. I do not know, like you, and the climate there scares me, we’re lovers of heat and sun and knowingly love to go to winter in Thailand.
The content of the article
- 1 Prehistory
- 2 How it was with me
- 3 How can you have it
- 3.1 Working in Finland
- 3.2 Business in Finland
- 3.3 Study in Finland
- 4 Living in Finland – as it is
- 4.1 Prices
- 4.2 Finland and children
- 4.3 Special children
- 5 Conclusion
Contents
Prehistory
Hello! My name is Irina, I am 35 years old and the last four years I I live in Central Finland, in the suburbs of Jyväskylä. I noticed that Oleg and Darya’s blog has a lot of readers who interested in emigration and life in different countries, so I decided Share your experience, glad if it turns out to be useful to you.
Gardens are blooming on the platform in Helsinki
Well, it all started with the fact that I greatly disliked my life, and I really wanted to change it. There were a lot of things, and difficulties of relationships with parents and forever ill disabled child and work that was exhausting me and squeezing up drops, well, to the heap I did not really like living in Russia (read – did not like it at all).
I thought it would be cool to go somewhere, better all over the edge of the earth, but instead went on a bus tour of Scandinavia. Yes, yes, I was not so advanced traveler, like Oleg with Darya and Egorka. Before that, I was only once in the Czech Republic and once in Thailand. And you know what? This trip changed my life! I just fell in love with Scandinavia and me I wanted to go back there. And the least time we were in Finland, I decided that it was unfair, and came there again in two months – take a walk without haste and take a breath of Finnish by air.
And here I am again in Finland. My friend and I rented a car. drove along the south coast. It was July, the weather was wonderful, and this country finally conquered me: by the wind from the sea, by the cafes with delicious cakes, small toy towns, and it’s important strolling there chickens. In which city I saw them no longer I remember, since I moved here I have never seen chickens, freely walking around the city!
Rooster walks down the street in some Finnish city
How was it with me
What I finally decided on was a complete gamble with my parties. I accidentally learned that in Finland there are free higher education in English, fast-fast passed the TOEFL (the scale of my lack of advancement you can appreciate at least by the fact that back then I didn’t even have a normal banking cards to pay for this tofl – had to urgently execute) and applied to the selected university.
New year we met with a second cousin on the ferry between Finland and Sweden, and in April I was already rolling on the train Lev Tolstoy to Helsinki, and from there on another train – to Jyväskylä, take the entrance exam to the university. In the end, exactly through a year after I first visited this country with a bus tour I received the answer that I entered the university on specialty “International Business” and they are waiting for me in August with things 
I was happy just to the point of disgrace, with pleasure filed statement on the calculation, and with the parents, we had previously agreed that the son will remain with them for the first time. He was then 4 years old.
Why was it a gamble? Because I had no money to live normally in Finland with a child (and without a child), nor guarantees that I can stay there after school. I handed over two apartments in Perm and this was hardly enough for me to eat, toothpaste and trips to Russia to his son in the first year. For the year I have never took advantage of public transport in Finland (went to an old semi-broken bike, the cheapest one I found), I did not buy anything at all, and went to the grocery store for 2 km, because there was a little bit cheaper.
I diligently taught Finnish, and at the same time Swedish, I registered IP in Finland and was 100% sure that I I’m not going anywhere from here. Apparently, I was so persistent in my striving to live in Finland, that Dear Universe helped me and I met the man of her dreams, who by luck turned out to be a Finn and offered me a hand and a heart. To which i am immediately agreed. Three years have passed since then, and last week we quarreled for the first time (already made up :))
Baking pancakes in a student apartment. First year in Finland
How can this be yours?
Despite the fact that I sincerely consider Finnish men wonderful, and women too, I do not urge you now to indulge breaking bad! But if you also really want to move to Finland Perhaps one of the following options will suit you.
Work in Finland
This is just the perfect option! Even if only one found work Family member, you can absolutely safely transport the whole family here: children will be identified in kindergartens / schools, they will feed and learn the language there, and non-working family member will be sent to language courses and will be pay a scholarship and then dole if work will not appear instantly. Plus not count. The main disadvantage is It is not simple. But it absolutely does not mean that it is impossible. I have Familiar family, husband is an architect, for his work in St. Petersburg he often faced with one Finnish company that deals designing houses, as a result, he now works there. Were friends on LJ also came to Finland on work visas – both husband and wife found work here. But they are already in America, in Finland, they seemed bored.
Sites for job search:
- http://www.monster.fi/,
- http://www.mol.fi/tyopaikat/tyopaikkatiedotus/haku/ (here you have to use the help of google translator, if you don’t speak Finnish just yet. Mostly jobs in Finnish but there is also in English)
- Well, in general, show imagination. Go to the sites of interest of companies, find a page about vacancies and act!
About visa and other points: http://www.migri.fi/
Business in Finland
It’s not bad too. But you have to fight for a place in the sun! View for a residence as an entrepreneur is harder to get than for work, you will be closely examined under the microscope, and in the first year you are unlikely to have the social benefits of Finland. If you prove your consistency (expressed on average monthly income and paid taxes) – everything will come. Here they write how it should be do http://www.migri.fi/ And in Finland there are state organizations that free (!!!) help beginners entrepreneurs, including Russian, who want to open business in Finland. For example, like this one in Joensuu http://www.josek.fi/eng/.
Study in Finland
Does not give you any benefits or guarantees. Upon graduation from you there will be 6 months to find a job if you haven’t found one yet. Or to enter another school .. You can study in Finland forever. While education is free for everyone, but they promise to introduce paid from 2017. However, most likely, it will be cheaper than education in another European country. All you need to know about getting Higher Education in Finland in English here: http://www.studyinfinland.fi/
There are still refugees, but Finland is sooooo not willing to accept them, and if you want to become one, you have to prove strongly that otherwise you face imminent death.
Well, those who in the family were Finns. About this kind of emigration I I know almost nothing, except that they have been waiting for such decisions for years and almost decades.
If you like Finland and you think you could be here live good luck
Life in Finland – as it is
To be honest, I find it difficult to describe life in Finland in a nutshell. I adore this country! Although sometimes grumbling about the climate, Finnish and culinary passions of the Finns Seriously, I think that Finland is well suited to those who love to live in the village, but with all amenities That is, fresh air, wood from the threshold and the river around the corner, only in the Finnish version it is likely to be lake. Plus a bonus to this would be excellent roads, a school nearby. or a free taxi to her, and a high standard of living. But everything will be a little bit rustic in a good sense of it the words.
Most likely you will NOT like Finland if you love break the rules of the road like parties, especially by at night, love the noise of big cities, a lot of people around and crazy rhythm of life. Finns value calm, predictability and respect. the rules.
Very typical finnish picture
Prices
Finland is one of the most expensive countries in Europe. Dear ones here: any services, transportation, gasoline, alcohol, restaurants, utilities services, insurance. For example: the normal price of male haircuts – 20 euros, women – 50. I understand that in Russia there are such prices, but in Finland it is the lower limit. Drive 200 km to you will cost 60 euros if you are not a student, but on a city bus 20 km – more than 6 euros. I just live in the suburbs, 20 km from the city, those. if I went by public transport, I would leave at least 12 euros per day only on the road, that is if without transplants.
For electricity we pay from 100 to 200 euros per month. For understanding: we are a family of 4 people, we live in a three-bedroom apartment with a sauna (electric), an electric oven, which used to the fullest, dishwasher, stand-alone boiler, warm floors in the shower and toilet and electric heating. Water costs 4 euro / cubic meter.
Products in supermarkets, in principle, it seems to me, if more expensive Perm, it’s not so direct (I’m from Perm, so I compare mainly with Perm, I don’t ask much, the residents of the two capitals and other cities and regions of the Russian Federation). But medicine worth some unreal money. Valerian will be offered to you for 18 Euro, and iodine for 11. Maybe that’s why nobody uses them here. and for all illnesses the Finns have one remedy – ibuprofen?
Another Finnish peculiarity, which I got used to for a long time – everything local is worth… MORE EXPENSIVE! Moreover, the closer it is grown or produced, the more expensive it is sold, because meeeeestnoooooeeeeee! And if you are looking to buy cheap apples in the granny market, you are very disappointed, the apples will cost three times as much, than the store and grandma will stand at his own price to death, menacingly rolling out his eyes and proving that the apples are something more awesome! You have already understood, yes, that the Finns are great patriots and originals?
Property prices are quite different from type real estate and location. Surprise surprise is the most expensive! the property in the capital. Also the Finns are very fond of private homes and so that the neighbors It was not visible (if you look at this point, then I’m definitely Finn!). AT Our region (Jyväskylä and its surroundings) is a good sound house. You can buy for 200 – 300 thousand euros. Well, for example, like this:
Generally recommend this site if you also like me hang around looking at real estate for sale
Finland and children
I know that many expensive Russians associate Finland exclusively with juvenile justice and horror stories about selected children innocent parents. My opinion is that Finland is a wonderful country for families with children, including (underlined twice) for families with special children.
My children run to local kindergartens with songs and dances, although Russian garden – it was one of the worst nightmares of our family. And the same picture of my friends Russian families. I am among the Finns By the way, I met those who are not happy with their kindergarten, but I think that they just have nothing to compare.
Schools here are not subdivided into any elite or shameful, there are no entrance exams to first grade mention it. In general, quizzes and exams are mainly between In fact, children do not prepare for them in any way, but show what is. It does not create any particular stress stress, associated with school and study. Homework assignments are gradually, and for the weekend do not ask.
The main thing for the child is a happy childhood, and the main function parent – having fun and spending time with children, for example to go hiking or skating, but certainly not to drill, and do homework until the general hysteria. There are so many articles on the Finnish school system. I like this one, it is very well reveals the topic Mysteries of the Finnish school: less you learn – know more?
Fedya and ducks. Yyväskylä
Special children
I mentioned special children here. The thing is, I had the opportunity to learn from experience – what it feels like to be a mom special child in Russia and Finland. I must say that this is not just neither there nor there. But here (in Finland) I get this colossal support from educators and other representatives states regarding my son with severe hearing loss, that I almost stopped to perceive it as special! For me it’s just a son, well, yes, different from other duck people does not happen, all children are different!
This is due to the fact that I do not need to achieve acceptable conditions for your child, for example, to be taken in ordinary school or so teachers take into account his poor hearing. On the contrary! I am constantly contacted by a special urban the curator for hearing impaired children, asks how we are doing, and how she can help us. She communicates with the teacher, makes sure that Fedor in school there were no problems caused by his hearing, takes over negotiate with your doctor if necessary.
In the classroom, all the legs of the tables and chairs are padded with felt – for one child He uses the FM system to better hear the teacher – is free. All necessary equipment that can facilitate his life (induction system to hear tv, door alarm bell, fire alarm, vibrating alarm alarm) we have, and it was free for us. The main thing, what they do – they don’t leave parents alone with children features, they really HELP! It is very valuable to me.
Conclusion
I hope I managed to show you a little bit – what is she, Finland. And maybe you even wanted to be here if you not yet been. Come, Finns are very happy for Russian tourists if you fall in love with this country, I’m sure you will find a way here move!
If we talk about me, then global events have occurred in my life changes after moving to Finland. Well, besides the fact that I have a wonderful daughter was born, my son with a sensorineural hearing loss of 3-4 degrees now speaks finnish better than me and I don’t tear travel, because I feel good at home (!!!) I also gradually freed from the husk, loosen up and learned trust your dreams. I went to study again – at the pastry baker! And I earn by making cakes, rolls and cupcakes on order.
And I also have LiveJournal: http://irina-staro.livejournal.com/ Look at the light!
Our family
Thanks for reading! Irina
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